A Full Cup

These cups hang in my house.

Simply because of the memories they represent.

Memories of my Grandma Duerksen and Great Aunt Aganetha.

These two women from my past made sure I always had a full cup.

A full cup of lemonade to wet my whistle in the windy dusty wheat field.

Refills at tea parties in Hesston.

Overflowing cups of cold well water pumped from the farm cistern.

Little did they know that through their actions

And the faith-filled lives they led,

They were modeling to me 

The importance of keeping our cup full of Jesus.

When Jesus fills us

We are not thirsty for the ways of the world.

Our thirst is quenched in His love for us.

We are satisfied through Him.

Content in what we have.

Who we are.

Where we are going.

What we are doing. 

Like that cup of lemonade,

We drain it when our thirst is great.

Life has a way of emptying our cup.

So just like Great Aunt Aganetha asking to refill our tea cup,

Jesus is ever present to pour into us.  

Would you like more?

Yes.

Always.

Fill my cup so I can shine for You.

How do you drink your coffee?

Are you a sipper? 

Taking in only a little bit at a time?

Savoring the aroma that drew you to the coffee in the first place? 

Or do you gulp it down?

Needing the caffeine as a lifeline for the day?

Just as we need our morning joe to get us up and moving,

We need time in the Word and in prayer.

His guidance is always the jolt of energy we need each and every day.

I find myself sipping when I want to take His Word in slowly,

To understand it and align it with my life.

It’s that Saturday morning or a surprise snow day coffee

When each sip adds to the day.

There are times, though, I dive into the Good Book

Simply to say that I’m reading my Bible.

Distracted sipping.

It’s the mug of coffee during morning gym duty.

My attention is on the students.

I’m sipping just to finish my coffee before the first bell rings.

But sometimes life throws us a curveball

We have no other option but to gulp it down.

His Word is our only hope to face the next week, 

The next day,

The next minute.

We pour into His Word,

Devouring up His love,

Trusting in His will.

We can’t get enough.

We want to be consumed by Him.

We want Him to take the pain.

To take the worry.

To take all the unknowns.

And fill it  with peace.

As I continue to grow in my faith,

I am learning that by sipping on a daily basis

I am creating a foundation 

A foundation for when I need to gulp it down,

I already have a relationship with my Lord and Savior.

It’s finding those daily blessings,

Giving thanks in ALL things,

Following His Word,

And allowing Him to be seen through my actions and words.