Fruit of your labour

I'll admit that this thought was triggered by a not so awesome purchase, yet the experience took me through to a very positive realisation and a great mindset from which to begin 2011. It began like this. My wife and I were at a wedding and had some time to kill between the service and the reception. We found ourselves sitting in a little kiosk watching the sun set over the surf at whale beach. This spot, inches from the sand is possibly one of the most beautiful and prime locations for a cafe in Sydney. Being a lover of coffee and the beach I was pretty excited at this point so I quickly ordered a latte and settled in... 10 minutes later my world crashed down (yes at times I grossly exaggerate) as I received this in place of my latte(see above pic).

It's not that I got a bad coffee, (well it kinda is) but its why I got a bad coffee that got me thinking. You see I've realised that there is nothing better than working for something and achieving it your self. Since getting into making coffee I've learnt that it is actually really simple. Keep a clean machine, use good fresh beans and milk, and watch and care about what your doing. But so often these rules go completely out the window, and cafes who's primary purpose is to follow these rules, completely ignore them and serve you a nice hot waste of $3.50.

Now Im no great barrista, but I'm working on it. My coffee doesn't look beautiful yet but it tastes awesome. Proverbs 22:29 says; Do you see a man skillful in his work, He will stand before Kings. In my time I've met a few people who were just awesome at their jobs and took pride in what they did. A piercer and a bus driver from New Zealand, a barrista from the corner cafe in Pennant Hills and a few others. These people have stuck in my mind for years because they cared about what they were doing. If we want fulfillment, if we want to honor God, then lets care about what we do. Be it flying planes, cutting film, writing code, or making coffee, greatness doesn't come by what we achieve but by how.