The God Shot
Michaele Weissman is the author of God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee. Michaele wrote her book as a result of research on the development of the coffee experience. In a NPR interview, she spoke about her initial lack of coffee knowledge and the individuals she met that enlightened her world and introduced her to the “God shot” – the perfect blend of elements that lift coffee to a “spiritual experience.”
Michaele spoke with several coffee growers and roasters and learned about Esmeralda, the holy grail of coffee. This delicate floral Ethiopian coffee is highly treasured – at one time selling for $130/pound. Interestingly, it has a season, and as mind-blowingly amazing as it is in its time, if harvested too early, it results in disappointment. I thought the interviewer’s final thought was quite interesting: “If we’re patient and we wait for the season, we can experience God in a cup.”
James 1:12 states, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
I don’t know about you, but I am NOT a patient person when I’m being tested. I’m very clear about the fact that God is not the author of my trials and that his desire is only for my good. However, when I’m in the midst of some kind of emotional or spiritual pain that I don’t understand, I want God to give me answers, and I want them NOW. I do not “patiently endure testing and temptation” very well.
Christian author Beth Moore hit me between the eyes with the following insight:
“God uses time to unwrap presents that appear as curses . . . Temptation attempts to tear open the package before its due date and, in so doing, disfigures what’s inside. Wait on the Lord!”
Can it be that God has something miraculous for me on the other end of the trials I’m experiencing right now? If I force things and tear open the package prematurely, could I miss the beauty of what’s waiting for me inside?
I long for the blessing, and I believe God is faithful. I will trust that the God shot is worth the wait.