My cup overflows....

My cup overflows. Psalm 23:5

      

Pause for a while …just let yourself feel these words become truth in your life.

As I type these words from another room, I hear my granddaughter’s little voice singing “Ba-Ba- Black Sheep” as she quiets herself for nap time. I guess it’s one of those God-wink moments – all this writing about sheep and shepherds. As her singing helps her to drift off in slumber, I personally find it a soothing sedative here in my office. I am rich in this love of a two-year old. 

Truly, my cup overflows.

As much as I want to protect and shield this child, I know my little granddaughter will face some difficulty in her life. She’ll be disappointed. Things will make her cry and hurt. But the reality is in every life there will be storms. Even in the best of times, shepherds could find their flock and themselves in trouble with the weather. A fierce storm could quickly chill a small lamb, causing it to become immobile and dejected. But the shepherd would know how to help. He would provide his cup of wine mixed with water for the animal to drink. This would warm and revive them until the storm passed.

Jesus referred to his agony in the garden as His cup. In Luke 22:42 He prayed, “Father, if it be Thy will, take this cup from me.” We must try to picture Christ, his overflowing life poured out on the cross for us. To warm, to heal, to save. To fill us with overflowing love. No matter what storms we face, the life of Christ and his strength are poured into me. They overflow from him into me….my cup runs over with His life, given to me to share with others. The cup of joy and the cup of sorrow, all mixed into one.

On the Sundays when I am honored to help serve Communion, it is deeply emotional to look into the eyes of my church family and say to them, “This is the cup of salvation, poured out for you.”

“There is always something “over.”

 When we trust our gracious Lord; 

 Every cup is overflowing, 

 His great rivers all are broad.

 Nothing narrow, nothing sparing, 

 Ever springing from His store;

 To His own he gives full measure, 

 overflowing evermore.”

 (Margaret Barber)

God, you fill me with your overflowing love. You revive me from the storms.