Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Trade it

Do you want to know how God taught me a truth the other day?  C'mon, you do, don't you?  If you are thinking it was during some quiet, serene, peace filled moment, you are wrong.

If you are thinking it was when my one year old threw a temper tantrum over an empty sippy cup, then I would have to ask if you are stalking me, because you are right on!  Go you.  But stop stalking me.  Not cool.

On the floor was an empty sippy cup.  It had previously been filled with water that Sully had finished.  He was playing on the floor and came across the sippy.  He picked it up and was trying to drink it.  It was empty.  

I see this.  I go and fill a new sippy cup with milk and I try to hand that to him.  He then throws a temper tantrum because he does not want to give up the empty sippy cup.  Did I mention that it was empty?  I tried to take away the empty cup to hand him the full cup.  He didn't want it and he threw a temper tantrum complete with rolling on the floor.

It's silly, isn't it?  But I do the same thing.  There have been and there are so many things in my life that just don't satisfy my soul.  They are empty and they leave me empty.  But I fight to keep them.  I turn to them to fill me (eating, shopping, vacations, security this side of heaven, trying to keep up with Jonses' even though I don't even know who they are).  They don't fill me.  They never will.  

And God, who created me with a hole meant just for Him, stands before me, offering me all I ever need, offering all that will satisfy my thirsty soul, and I see Him.  But I cling to my empty cup.  

All Sully wanted was something to drink.  And as his mom I was offering him something good- milk that will satisfy his thirst and nourish his body.  It's not that I wanted to deprive him of something good, it's that compared to what I had, what he held in his hands just wasn't that good.  In fact, what he held in his chubby little fingers didn't even compare!  
 My cup is empty.  Whatever I try to fill myself with other than the Lord; His truth, His word, His love, does not even compare.  But when I let go and when I surrender my empty cup to Jesus, He fills me.  My cup overflows in the best possible way.  

One day I will stand before the Lord of the universe, and the truth is, the empty sippy cups I hold in my hands will look even more empty compared to Him.  I don't want to waste this life holding an empty cup.  

If you've ever clung to an empty cup, or are clinging, here is the good news.  You didn't miss your chance to trade it.  The Lord, in all His mercy, in all His love, wants to trade you.  He wants to take your empty cup and fill you up with His love and His grace.  He did all the work.  You just need to open your hands to receive it.  He loves you.  God is crazy about you. And what He wants you to have, a relationship with Him, will fill your soul like nothing else, and probably knock your socks off, too!  

Thanks for stopping by today!  Here's to cups that overflow!

Danielle




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