Laced With Grace – Christian Devotions

My Cup Overflows

By Heather C May 6, 2009 Devotion

I’ve always been known as the person who walks around holding a cup/mug in my hand wherever I go.  In college, the gals down the hall would tease me for needing my herbal teas and classical music to get me in the “I’m intellectual, so now I’m going to study” mode. 

Then, I lived in Ukraine, where tea is a part of every day life.  I adjusted to the leaves of Ukrainian tea, or black chai, not to be confused with the American version of “chai” because we never added anything other than an occasional teaspoon of sugar to our tea.  We had our babushka neighbors over for chai and served cookies and chai to our interpreters at monthly meetings.  We drank chai in the morning and chai at night.  We scrubbed tea stains off of our cheap tea cups and teapot after Bible studies where young women first heard about Jesus’ love. 

With all of that chai drinking, I felt the need to come home with an appropriate souvenir.  I found a lovely “tea” set near the end of my two years there and managed to bring it home unscathed.  Then, I realized it wasn’t a tea set at all, but a coffee set, with tiny cups meant for strong koffee. 

My coffee drinking days didn’t really begin until I was teaching school AND being a mother.  I would sweep into the faculty lounge on my way to the classroom and grab a cup of morning sanity and inevitably, I would overfill the cup.  Then, I would dribble my way up the ramp to my hallway.  Every once in a while, I had more embarrassing spilling situations. 

Drinking coffee while driving…dangerous.

Big drippy stain down the front of my shirt – not so professional.

Drinking coffee while explaining mathematics…dangerous.

Coffee spilled all over my notes – cause for laughter among teenagers.

 

Yes, I know all about cups that seem to be overflowing.

Psalm 23:5  My cup overflows

cup-of-teaIf an overflowing cup of peppermint tea brings me soothing comfort after a long day, how about soaking up God’s Word?

If an overflowing cup of mocha in the morning gives me energy to face the day, what about a cup of strength from the Holy Spirit?

If an overflowing cup of chai helped make friends out of strangers, how about a cup of God’s grace and love?

God wants to fill up our cups with His blessings, His love and peace and hope, His power and His wisdom, but I have to remember it’s not just so I can carry around that brimming cup He’s given me.  He WANTS me to spill it out wherever I go.  He wants my cup to be filled to the point of overflowing, dripping little drops of grace here and little drops of life changing truth there. 

What’s spilling over in your life?

7 thoughts on “My Cup Overflows”

  1. Kim

    Wonderful analogy! We should seek him all throughout our day. Don’t ever let the cup run dry.
    Great post!
    Blessings,
    Kim

  2. Kim

    I had a thought of your “tea” set filling the cups of those you hosted over the years. Of you filling the lives of those you’ve come in contact with over the years. With my coffee cup in hand, I’m hoping to spill today! Thank you for this post.

  5. christy rose

    I so loved this!! I laughed hard at times and then the idea of leaving little drips of grace and love that are spilling and overflowing from my filled life is a marvelous analogy. My heart is fluttering to think about it.