I was reading Joyce Rupp’s wonderful poem, The Perfect Cup, recently. It was the subject of a reflection in “Give Us This Day.” I’ve been thinking about it ever since!

Why?

Well we – whether you are discerning religious life or what to do later today – all are called to steward the cup of our lives. We are all called to examine the contents of it. How are we using it? How are we filling it? Are we more concerned with how it looks or how it works?

Consider these questions:

What kind of a cup are you? Porcelain? Stone? Ceramic? Plastic?

Are you a big mug or a small and delicate tea cup?

What flaws do you have? Are you chipped? Stained? Or are you spotless?

Have you allowed yourself to be filled to overflowing? Or have you held back?

How is God asking you to look at the cup of your life?

Are you the same old cup? Or … are you new?

Give Us This Day offered this wisdom: You can’t clean a cup unless it’s empty.

What does that mean to you? Do you allow your cup to be used up? Do you give yourself away?

I’ve been enjoying these questions thoroughly, and I invite you to, too. As you discern, try thinking about what God’s calling you to use your cup for today!