My Cup Lifted: My Purpose
I have a pretty full cup. My house is a mess, I'm losing things all the time, I forget important dates like birthdays, anniversaries and meetings. I lose my keys and I can't find mascara that doesn't eventually leave a dark "racoon-like" ring under my eye. But, since I was in 6th grade, I have wanted to be a writer, so I decided that now is the time for me to blog.
My Cup Lifted will hopefully give me an outlet to express my gratitude to God for forming me, for giving me life, and for helping me get through it. Have you noticed that life does not turn out the way you plan for it to? I remember playing make-believe in my bedroom as a little girl...I wanted to be living in Australia by the time I was 22, of course I would be madly in love, wealthy, writing successfully...it was going to be the Hollywood Fairytale.
But my life didn't work out that way. You see, what I've discovered is that we all have a cup with our name on it. It was designed specifically for us. Some are made of gorgeous crystal, with little clinking trinkets on them; some are made on a pottery wheel and may be bulky, heavy, rough-hewn; some are a bold brass with etchings on the sides that must be a bear to keep clean and untarnished. No matter how many times I have tried to reach for the pretty, dainty, fairytale goblet: it's gone by the time I get there.
My cup, the cup that God designed for me is this: it's made of clay, then baked and baked and baked in a hot fire to ensure that it's durable and tough as nails. It's painted with black and white stripes like a zebra print. When I was younger, I never noticed the print other than believing it was "trendy" in the 80's, but now realized that it's zebra printed in honor of my daughter who you will no doubt learn more about in this blog. There are medalians baked on to the cup...they symbolize my strengths: argumentation, creativity, perseverance, song, art, vision--they have been baked on through the years as I've walked through fire and gone through times of duress.
On my cup, there are also some flaws...little cracks in the clay that we have to repair with super-glue as needed: haste, stubborness, fear, a disatisfied heart, and laziness.
Let me tell you, there have been many times that I have wanted to say, "Can I get a new cup?" There have been times I have thought about breaking my cup, just so I could get a new one. I have coveted other people's cups as well, "I wish I had a little of what she does," or "how come some people have all the luck?" But, I have learned that the best way to love my cup is to accept it as it is...actually, the BEST way to love my cup is to celebrate it. I have created this blog in order to share with you how I will, at the end of a day or week, or however frequently I post; how I will choose to lift my cup and say, "Cheers" to God for a what he is doing in my life.
Today I will say, "Cheers, God! You have crafted for me a most beautiful cup: one that continues to change and morph, one that continues to challenge me, but also sustains me. Cheers for never leaving me no matter how many times I may drop this cup and spill all that you have given to me. Cheers for your ultimate plan for me to become the best there could be. Cheers..."
