30 Days of Touching

Day 13: Cup of Our Life

My friend sat across from me, each of us holding our cups of tea in our hands as we chatted. A few weeks ago, I had loaned her a book called, The Cup of Our Life by Joyce Rupp. I discovered this book awhile back and have read it a couple of times. The author uses a cup as a metaphor of our lives. During each daily reading, she invites you to use the cup in prayer and for journaling exercises.

For instance, one day you might hold the cup and look it over for any cracks or blemishes. Rupp then connects the worn and weathered cup with our own lives and how the cracks and blemishes tell part of our story. When I read the book myself, I used a very old cup that belonged to my grandmother. She drank tea out of it every day. Noticing the tea stains, small chips and fine fissures made me think of my grandmother’s story.

Until my friend talked about it today, I hadn’t thought about The Cup of Our Life and my experiment with 30 Days of Touching. It brought back memories of how the cup really did help me open myself to God and pray more honestly. I also remember how often what I read for the day corresponded to something going on in my own life.

The next time you have a cup of tea or coffee, hold the cup in your hands and let God speak to you about your life. Imagine your heart to be like an open cup and ask God to pour out his love and grace and fill you up. If you are really intrigued, pick up a copy of the book and see what you think.