My coffee pot is defective, but I use it anyway. It’s a cheapo, five cupper that the lid always pops up on, and seems like each pot is it’s last. It does keep brewing though, on and on…

So, what is defective about it? Well the little size pot, that holds just 5 under-size cups and it’s little dinky lip, is too small. Yeah, they made the spout too small! It really must be a design flaw. The pot don’t work right!

When the jug is full, trying to pour your morning cup-a-joe is real frustrating. It spills! It splashes. It goes everywhere but in the mug. It’s a pain. A full pot, plus morning time grogginess can equal a mess…

Unless I pour it just right. This little pot of mine defies the laws of physics it seems. Really the trick with it, is to hold it out over the cup and just think about tipping it forward. The tiniest slight hint of tilt is all it needs, barely under level will do… then, stop. Don’t tip no more. Just hold it there. Just relax and try not to twitch. If you do, hot java will be everywhere quick.

Big deal, just spill some, or pour some, and get on with your day, right! This analogy is a trite waste of your precious time, right! Maybe, it is. Maybe it isn’t.

I have other things in my life, that seem defective. They seem to make a mess, every time I interact with them. I have specific, important relationships and tasks, commitments and practices that seem to spill all over everything and require cleanup often. Like they just weren’t designed right.

Yeah, all the time I am dealing with something that I think ‘should’ work one way and really causes me grief when I ‘try’ to make it happen. Like pouring my coffee from the pot, I tilt and do what makes sense, and it ends up everywhere. The lip is too small for that though. I can only make a ‘normal’ pour when the thing is half empty. When full, the volume overwhelms the spout, and I grab for the generic paper towel roll.

I know that I am being shown a lesson this week. Don’t move. Don’t try so hard. Just think about the outcome and be still. Relax. The flow is coming on it’s own. I don’t have to force it. In fact, trying too hard to ‘make’ it happen will overwhelm the natural process. I don’t need to do much of anything at all. The more I do, the more mess will be made. The less I do, the less ‘trying’ the easier it will be…

Yeah, so I am shown this lesson. I am aware. I kinda see the analogy and feel it in my spirit. Don’t push too much. Don’t pour so quick. Just barely make a motion and then hold. Just hold and be still there. Let it happen. Let it unfold on it’s own. It will. It wants to. It can’t do anything else than that, unless I overdo…

Except, that even with this awareness. I pour hard again. I push hard again. I do that thing, which I know won’t work, one more time, and flare up in reaction at the mess I’ve made… again… even knowing that my role is to just be, and let it become.

Yeah, I make messes, when I know a better way. I’m in a hurry. I want my coffee. I want my outcome. I think forcing it, will work, when it won’t. I carry a crapload of frustration and sourness at always cleaning up messes. My messes. I make ’em, I’m mad I have to clean em up…

The little coffee pot stays the same each day. It tries to tell me to slow down. To just notice that my little movement is enough. I can then stop and let things flow. Once they are going and moving along then I can increase the angle, and glug glug till it’s full.

I’m noticing that my frustrations come as I try too hard. Want too fast. Dislike the mess.

At least I have hot coffee. I have a lot of things. I am blessed in so many ways. I want to stop for a moment and hold onto that thought. I want to capture it’s steady truth and drink that up. I will be deeply revived and humbly refreshed, if I can sip and study the blessings in my overflowing cup. That is a mess that I could be happy to look at, happy to ponder.

If I ever learn to really do that, I’ll let ya know. Until I really wake up, I’ll be grumbling and crabby and blame it on the spillage spoiling my mornings…

Sincerely,

Aaron Nichols