WHOSE CUP DO YOU MEASURE YOURSELF (OTHERS) BY?
“the parable of the cups” J
Ok – so this is one of those strange mornings as I was driving, I started reflecting on my kitchen cabinets – have any of you ever done that? First of all, many of you know my kitchen cabinet story so that amazing miracle testimony is for another time but what I was thinking of was, ‘what is in my cabinets?’ I guess the whole thing that initially sparked this conversation in my head was the other day when I went to a friend’s house. She offered me coffee and the cup was just so cute, so perfect and we all had the same ones and it was really cozy. Yesterday I started thinking maybe I should get a set of perfect cups for when I had company but upon reflecting on it I decided against it because my cups remind me of my life and all that surrounds me, who I am and who my God is!
I want to take you back to my childhood for a moment. My mom was amazing and she loved diversity in her plates. She loved to go to tag sales and buy odd plates – some with scenes, some with various colors, some plain – the plates in her house were as varied as her children. She saw the beauty in each odd plate and many times at dinnertime we would fight over which plate we wanted, I chuckle as I think about it now.
Fast forward many years to my present time, if you open my cabinets I have several sets of dishes and each has a story: I have a beautiful china set which I inherited from my mom (which she got later in life), I have a beautiful set that Dan & I got when we got married 25 years ago and I have an everyday set which my children got me years ago for everyday use (not to mention paper plates for those lazy days – ha-ha). Then there is my cup collection – of course with each set of dishes, there are the cups that go with them but then there is a shelf that has the cups you see in this picture. Each cup is as varied as they come – some are big, some are small, some have sayings, some are plain, some are from places visited or gifts from others, some are chipped, some are perfect, some are colorful, some are sturdy and solid….. You get it…. Each is SPECIAL!! I will probably never get rid of these for a ‘perfect set’ because for me, it reminds me of how special we each are to the Creator. God has made each of us special and unique and we all have amazing gifting’s! Sometimes we spend so much time wishing we were that perfect cute cup that we forget the gift He placed in us. We measure ourselves according to someone else’s cup, all the time missing the beauty in our cup. Lately I have asked God for eyes to see others as He sees them and you know what, He’s doing it!! He’s beginning to help me overlook the chip in someone’s cup and see their beauty. Not only that, He’s helping me appreciate the chips in my cup and encouraging me to share them with you because we all have something to share with each other! There is beauty in diversity and together with our lives intertwined in Him, we are His masterpiece! Enjoy your cup today! Selah
Originally posted on Facebook October 15, 2014
BREAKING FREE 