Speaking of soft drinks😁, I favor Coke over Pepsi, although Pepsi with pure cane sugar is a very close second. Being somewhat of a connoisseur of the drink, I had determined a couple of things:
· Bottled—nothing like the small, 6 oz glass bottles—so good!
· Fountain—McDonald’s, hands down—especially when they had the large drink for $1.00.
This morning, I learned the science behind a McDonald’s Coke. What struck me most was the attention to detail from the end to the beginning; that is, how drink temperature and melting ice affect the flavor. Once that was established, a process was implemented to create the best taste. It wasn’t good enough to dispense the Coke and rest on beginning laurels; instead, the end needed to be as good as possible.
With my Christian worldview (not spiritualizing McDonald’s Coke process 😊 but seeing a biblical parallel in practice), words from the Preacher came to mind, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” (Ecclesiastes 7:8 KJV).
Beginning with the end in mind is something I have taught for years after reading Steven Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People[1] coupled with Jesus’ words, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” (Luke 14:28 KJV) regarding counting the cost.
But what intrigues me is how the Preacher added the second phrase: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. He is saying that patience is vital to a good end. Didn’t Jesus say the same? “In your patience possess ye your souls” (Luke 21:19 KJV).
“To wait calmly for the result of an action, not to be hasty in arraigning Providence, is the part of a patient man; while the proud, inflated, conceited man, who thinks all must be arranged according to his notions, is never resigned or content, but rebels against the ordained course of events.”[2]
So, the next time you have a McDonald’s Coke, think about how patience in the details brings such a tasteful end; and how in your patience….
Well, maybe not, but you know what I mean 😂.
[1] This is an affiliated link, and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
[2] H. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Excell, eds., The Pulpit Commentary: 23 Volume Set (Peabody, Massachusettes: Hendrickson Publications, 2011). (Affiliated link)
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