Spiritual fitness in a ‘K-Cup’ world

  • Published
  • By Chap. (Lt. Col.) Matthew P. Franke
  • 627th Air Base Group chaplain
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  I love the aroma of a hot pot of coffee filling the house when I step in the door on a cool day and I like the social dynamic of making a pot to share with others. I never thought I would want one of those machines that makes single cups of coffee until my wife gave me one for my birthday. I had argued that they were too expensive to purchase and the price for those cups was excessive. She gave me one anyway!

But I must admit there are times when a whole pot of coffee is too much to drink. It loses its freshness and starts to get that burnt taste before I can drink it all. Sometimes, when there's no one to share it with, an individual dose of java is just what I need to boost my day and then there are those times when I want a fresh cup to go. Right now!

It's similar with spiritual fitness. Many of us get our spiritual boost from "the pot," those times we join with others in community for an hour or two a week. It can happen at the church or the synagogue, the mosque or the circle. It's good to get together with those who share our values and beliefs.

Yet, that doesn't always happen. Duty schedules and other events sometimes get in the way. Even when we do gather, there are plenty of other days in the week when we need a spiritual boost.

That's when the individual options come in. Just like my new coffee machine, I have plenty of choices to customize my spiritual java. What flavor do I want today? Prayer? Scripture study? Meditation? Music? A peaceful walk at sunrise? A daily devotion? Journaling my thoughts? Like those "K-Cups," my options are numerous and they don't take a lot of time.

Gathering with others to practice our faith is beneficial. It brings us and bonds us together, like gathering to enjoy a fresh brewed pot of coffee. But we don't have to wait for a weekly worship or holy day to boost our spirits. There are plenty of individual options each of us can exercise when it comes to spiritual fitness.

I still like making a pot of coffee, especially when friends come over for dinner or on a Saturday morning when I'm working around the house. But my single-cup brewer is fast becoming part of my life. Whether it's my body or my spirit, I need a boost every day!