The Coffee Cup

Walking around my living room the other morning something caught my eye. Setting on the top of my china cabinet is a white coffee cup. On the front of it is a simple farm scene. Above the farm it says “Iowa” in bold letters. At the bottom of the farm scene it says, “I’ve Been There.” I have never drank anything from this cup. It is too special to me to risk something happening to it. It was given to me nearly twenty years ago by my Dad.

My husband and I moved our little family from our home state of Iowa to Oklahoma. One time when we went back for a visit my dad handed me this coffee cup. Tears were in his eyes as he said, “This is so you don’t forget where you came from.” It was a moment that I will never forget. My love for gardening, nature and the outdoors came from my parents. They were the epitome of hard work and perseverance. The love they had for our family farm was second only to the love they had for each other and their children. They were the first to teach me the value of hard work. All of us worked together, side by side to make a successful living on that farm. Before the day and age of powerful herbicides we spent countless hours in the early summer walking the 30+ acres of soybeans. We pulled by hand the rogue corn and weeds that the cultivator on the tractor could not reach. My dad would always say, “The less weed seed we have in our beans at harvest the more money we will make. The more money we make the more things we can buy.” It was a life lesson that has served my five siblings and I very well throughout our adult lives.

“…knowing that this is a critical time. It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ]. The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ’s return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. Let us conduct ourselves properly and honorably as in the [light of] day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility, not in quarreling and jealousy. But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.”
Romans 13:11-14(AMP)

As a Jesus follower I have the privilege to be a part of another family. It is the Body of Christ. Together we make up the church that began some two thousand years ago. Over the years and still today many people have given their lives refusing to deny Christ. Despite the unending attempt of the enemy to destroy it; the Church still stands. Here in the USA we have the freedom to worship Jesus as we choose. Our styles of music, buildings and even the day we worship varies. But one thing stands true. The Message is the same: Jesus is the son of God, born of a virgin. He died and three days later, rose again. He is still alive today.

“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided into groups that fight each other is going to be destroyed. Every city or family divided into groups that fight each other will not stand.” Matthew 12:25 (NLV)

We are living in a critical, yet, exciting time. It is quite possible that we are the generation that will see the return of The King of Kings. We know that the day will come when we all will stand alone in front of the one true God. We each will give an account for our lives and every idle word we have ever spoken (1Peter 4:5 and Matthew 12:36.) I guess the older I get the more I ask myself, “What will Jesus say to me?” Will He draw back a curtain and show me all the people whose lives would have been blessed or changed if only I would have taken the step He placed in front of me? God forbid!

Most likely you and I will never meet, my friends. But I believe that we can accomplish great things together. There are weeds in the rows of our day to day lives that our weekly church attendance can not pull out. It takes much more than that. It takes a daily commitment to spend time with God and in His Word. We must search out the purpose that God has called each and everyone of us to. We can help each other by laying aside our differences and praying for each other.

“Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with” James 5:16-18 (MSG) 

Nothing and no one can remove the One True God from His throne. Let’s take a step back and remember where we came from. Drink once more from the cup of salvation that was given to us freely. We have been rescued, and given a new way to live. It is a life of unending strength and peace even in the face of turbulent times. It is a life of promise and a hope. Working together we will see a great harvest of souls. In the end our lives will be rich indeed.

“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 (HCSB)