If there is any method of coffee brewing most vulnerable to shoddiness, it is espresso. A perfect shot of espresso requires careful consideration of all aspects of the beverage: the beans, the roast, the coarseness, evenness and amount of grind, tamping pressure and technique, the machine, the water temperature and quality, the length of time extracting, the cup.
When pulling a good shot of espresso, you don’t want the grind to be too coarse or too fine. Likewise you don’t want to pack the portafilter too tightly or too loosely. Some liken it to pouring water through pebbles or sand. If the grind is like pebbles, the water flows through rapidly and the shot is under-extracted, lacking many components of its potential flavor profile. If the grind is like sand, the shot pulls too long and it is over-extracted. In over-extracted shots, there is an excessive bitterness. Too much of the flavor is pulled out of the beans. In an over-extracted shot, there’s some good that comes out, but the bad outweighs the good. An uneven grind always pulls inconsistent shots.
God knows exactly what we can bear to make us holy. Instead of 23-28 seconds, it takes a lifetime. We are constantly being sanctified in order to prepare our hearts for eternal life with Him. If sanctification were easy, like a lightly packed pebble-like grind, we would suffer potential in understanding and loving God’s character, the weight of His sacrifice, and the richness of His grace. God presses us just perfectly. Because He is good, He does not give us burdens larger than we can bear, which would bring out bitterness rather than understanding. Instead of finding in ourselves the beauty of His character, we would be over-burdened and sickened by His glory. We would drown ourselves in self-pity and bitterness. The bad would outweigh the good.
God is good. He is the Perfect Barista. He deals with our lives wisely. He knows the precise grind, the precise pressure. His Holy Spirit flows through us, bringing out the best flavors which He grew in us. Sanctification is perfectly difficult in order that we can understand and reflect all of the beauty and vastness of His character. In the end, there’s a perfect cup of espresso. A shot made to testify to the greatness of its crafter. Every step of the process was ordered according to His divine wisdom. Unlike a perfect shot of espresso which loses its quality in exponential speed, sanctified beings are meant to eternally reflect the glory of their Creator.
When pulling a good shot of espresso, you don’t want the grind to be too coarse or too fine. Likewise you don’t want to pack the portafilter too tightly or too loosely. Some liken it to pouring water through pebbles or sand. If the grind is like pebbles, the water flows through rapidly and the shot is under-extracted, lacking many components of its potential flavor profile. If the grind is like sand, the shot pulls too long and it is over-extracted. In over-extracted shots, there is an excessive bitterness. Too much of the flavor is pulled out of the beans. In an over-extracted shot, there’s some good that comes out, but the bad outweighs the good. An uneven grind always pulls inconsistent shots.
God knows exactly what we can bear to make us holy. Instead of 23-28 seconds, it takes a lifetime. We are constantly being sanctified in order to prepare our hearts for eternal life with Him. If sanctification were easy, like a lightly packed pebble-like grind, we would suffer potential in understanding and loving God’s character, the weight of His sacrifice, and the richness of His grace. God presses us just perfectly. Because He is good, He does not give us burdens larger than we can bear, which would bring out bitterness rather than understanding. Instead of finding in ourselves the beauty of His character, we would be over-burdened and sickened by His glory. We would drown ourselves in self-pity and bitterness. The bad would outweigh the good.
God is good. He is the Perfect Barista. He deals with our lives wisely. He knows the precise grind, the precise pressure. His Holy Spirit flows through us, bringing out the best flavors which He grew in us. Sanctification is perfectly difficult in order that we can understand and reflect all of the beauty and vastness of His character. In the end, there’s a perfect cup of espresso. A shot made to testify to the greatness of its crafter. Every step of the process was ordered according to His divine wisdom. Unlike a perfect shot of espresso which loses its quality in exponential speed, sanctified beings are meant to eternally reflect the glory of their Creator.
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