Cold Press

So I'm sitting in a coffee shop again for the first time. With the temperature outside the window rising like a cake in a bundt pan, I need something cool and refreshing. I have recently found the joys of cold press coffee. With summer in full swing, I have found myself enjoying this refreshing drink more than I ever imagined I would. I'm more of a cold morning, hot cup of coffee guy, but sometimes life isn't what I want.

I always thought summer school was for delinquents. This was before I registered, bought the book, and spent countless hours inside drinking cold coffee this summer. Now I am not a delinquent, but I am trying to get a college degree someday. So after graduating from AFLBS in late May, my life got a little crazy - independently studying astronomy, trying to maintain healthy relationships with friends, family, and kids in ministry, and also making an effort to enjoy some of God's beautiful Midwestern creation.

The words "cold" and "press" are used to describe a nice summer drink, but recently those two words could describe my life. This could be an exaggeration, but it sure does sound good. With the temperatures soaring like an eagle and the humidity making me sweat like a beagle, I have found myself longing to be elsewhere. There have been days I haven't been content. Sometimes my conversations seem meaningless and I don't feel like I am growing. I admit that I say "Yes" to more things than I should sometimes. My "To Do" list gets longer and longer. The number of hours in the day stays the same. I feel pressure from my boss, my friends, and myself. The double-edged sword that makes life great and makes life miserable is the fact that I like to make people happy.

When it comes down to it, God loves me regardless. Responsibility will press in, my heart may feel cold, but God will always be there. I have a hard time remembering this on hot summer days, when I sit inside staring out at the world, drinking cold coffee while I wade through the depths of an online science class. My pride gets in the way, and I forget that it's not all about me. But in all of this, God has a great way of bringing me back close to him ...

In 1 Peter 5 it says … ⁵Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."^{[a] 6}Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ⁸Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. ¹⁰And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

If you read anything in this post, read that passage from 1 Peter. That is what life is all about. God's grace is real and life changing. It has changed my life today, and I will gladly sit next to the window, drinking cold press coffee while studying the phases of the moon.