Coffee is so much more than just the liquid.
I will admit that when I started drinking coffee, it was for one thing––the caffeine. Being the farthest thing from a morning person, coffee became one of the most important tools to start my day. Nineteen-year-old me didn’t care at all about the taste, process, or smell, as long as I was able to work harder or stay awake longer.
(Please don’t judge, but I also loaded it with cream and sugar!)
My routine was focused on waking up, and that was about it.
It was a friend that changed everything. Out of nowhere, he called out my coffee habits for what they were: lacking in the most significant ways. For him, coffee was so much more. It was an art form.
That week, he had me over and brewed the first really good cup of coffee I ever had. High quality beans, a French press, and even preheated mugs. Watching the process alone makes a person excited for this cup of coffee.
Given how good this cup would be, my friend had some conditions. We were going to drink it there, we could let it cool off a bit, most importantly I had to drink it black. So I got to experience black coffee for the first time. It wasn’t half bad, but in the moment, I wasn’t dying for another cup.
The rest of my time in university would be multiple tiny moments like this.
Friends taking me to their favourite coffee shop.
Getting to taste the experiment from a new latte machine (which worked 83% of the time).
Having my mom bring me black coffee in hopes that I would never drink a double-double again.
Coffee for coffee’s sake
There was a moment where something changed, but I can't give you a specific day, time, or place. I just realized at some point that I really liked coffee.
It had become more than a tool to allow me to function a little bit better each morning. My routine slowly began to be less centred on caffeine, shifting towards enjoying coffee for coffee's sake.
It might be the smell that I attribute to waking up. Or the process of pouring water over the beans with attempted accuracy. Or even standing and watching the coffee rise in the pot. Whatever it is, for me, coffee has become something that is much greater than a caffeine boost.
Why should you care about someone's slow descent into coffee obsession? While it could seem like I think everyone should enjoy coffee, that isn’t what is important. You need to see is that the growth of my love of coffee didn’t come from goal setting, determination, or an epiphany that changed my life forever.
My love for coffee came from others sharing their love of coffee with me. And it came from actually drinking and learning on my own what I enjoyed. It came as a process over time.
Loving coffee––and God––in community
This growing love can’t be true for coffee alone, because even in my own life, coffee isn’t the only thing that have learned to enjoy.
Let me give you another example: my daily time alone with God.
I will admit that when I made the decision to spend time with God in the morning, the main reasoning was that it seemed like the right thing to do. The desire to make this a regular part of my life wasn’t born out of the enjoyment of getting up.
Over time this changed, but once again I can't give you a specific day, time, or place. It was due to times spent reading the Bible, hearing others talk about what they are reading in the Bible, answering difficult questions, and all around seeing how every little step was making a difference.
At some point I just realized that I really enjoyed being with God. What I once viewed as an essential task became something that I just enjoyed. My morning routine slowly began to be less focused on how much I read, and more about just using the time to sit, meditate, and pray.
My love for coffee, and my love for spending time with God, were both formed over time by taking small steps in community.
Enjoyment can't be forced
Moment of honesty: I am not perfect every morning. There are still many mornings where the last thing I want to do is get out of bed and read my Bible. I will never be considered a morning person. When I started, I was simply seeking a result. But now, it is much greater than just knowing more, it is about being with God.
You don’t need to force yourself to enjoy something to learn to enjoy it. A good cup of coffee is now one of my favourite things. But I didn’t force myself to enjoy it. Over time it just happened.
Looking back on life, I definitely see the pattern of joy coming not through force but through time, aided by the people around me. Wanting to enjoy your spiritual life is a good thing; just keep taking small steps and trust that it will happen over time.
