A Spilled Cup of Coffee Brings Hope for the Holidays
This blog and photo comes from the analogy of a cup spilling because someone bumped into the holder of the cup. I’ve heard it twice in the last month. Maybe you have, too! Frankly, I was getting ready to roll my eyes if I saw another social media post on it. And, here I am blogging about it today. Hold on! I have a great encouragement for you for the holidays!
“You are holding a cup of coffee and someone bumps into you, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? “Because someone bumped into me!!!” Wrong answer. You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out.
The same thing goes with life. When life comes along and bumps you (which it will), whatever is inside you will come out. So we have to ask ourselves… “What’s in my cup?” When life gets tough, what spills over? Anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions? Or, joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it.
Great teaching story, and then last Monday night happened. My car was side-swiped. And, the way it happened, neither of us knew who was at fault. It was a “he says; she says”. I had the right-of-way because he had the stop sign, but he pulled out as I made my turn. Now, we are both dealing with crazy $$ repair bills.
But, what came out of me? Not the normal caffeinated version of anxiety, stress, and worry. Peace flowed. Lips worshipped. Eyes stayed fixed on the promise-keeping Savior who was sovereign over my little storm. I want to savor this lesson and remember it. Let it live inside me for the rest of my life. Here’s what I know about having a heart filled with Jesus. Make no mistake. I take no credit. It is all God. Nothing but the Spirit. Only Jesus. Here’s the truth worth savoring: a heart full of Jesus doesn’t get broken when it gets bumped.
My dear friends — I don’t know what’s in your cup right now but if you’re any version of normal, there’s a lot of “stuff” — you’ve been shaken with the winds and the waves caused by the storm in your life and if that’s not the case, then quite possibly during the start of the holiday season — there’s the usual holiday stress. That’s the nature of the season.
Not only are the demands overwhelming, the ending of a year brings on reflection that points out all the ways this year didn’t measure up to our expectations. We’re going to be in close spaces with family members who maybe don’t agree and there still may be some unresolved issues lurking. For others, you might be missing loved ones who are no longer here.
It’s a recipe for a big ‘ole batch of hot-tempered, stressed-heart, cold-soul eggnog. And if we get bumped, what is going to come out? Can I invite you to fill your cup with Jesus? His words, His promises, His nature. Focus your eyes on the Savior Who loved you enough to leave heaven and endure earth so that you could one day leave earth and enjoy heaven. No doubt, you’ll get bumped this holiday season. Count on it. Let what overflows reflect a heart full of Jesus. Not only will it steady your peace and keep you from sinking, it will testify to a Jesus who is STILL the answer to every storm and the reason for any season.