Shattered Mugs

I heard the crash.

My stomach sank immediately. The splash of shattering ceramic sounded different, even at a distance. My mug was broken. My heart was a little broken, too.
But why? This one isn’t special, nor is it different than 3 other mugs in the cupboard. Its plain, black exterior has nothing flashy or worthy of extra attention.

This moment reveals my heart in a couple of unique ways. There’s a war going on inside. I’m more consumeristic than I'd like to admit. Yet I also appreciate the little things more than I realized—like my little black mug. Scripture calls us to hold onto things loosely (Matthew 6:19-21) while striving for contentment with what we have (1 Timothy 6:8).

The coffee mug says a lot about me. God is teaching me not to hold too tightly to the things of this world. Life is a vapor, and so is my health. Money will be useless when the Lord calls me home. Earthly relationships will all someday come to an end. Everything I contribute to this world will one day vanish. It’s all a vapor that’s here today and gone tomrorow. It will all pass away with this world (1 John 2:17), and the Lord is beckoning me, “Loosen your grip”.

At the same time, a simple, black coffee mug reminds me of contentment. I am learning to embrace the ordinary, mundane moments God has ordained for me. That simple sips of steaming, rich coffee from that insignificant Walmart mug reminds me of Bible reading, prayer time, meditation, good books, and spiritual warfare. A lot of spiritual growth has happened when I enjoy some coffee in the early morning hours with the Lord.

It also reminds me of discipleship and life with people. The presence of friends—a life lived in the fellowship with God and His people unrestrained by masks, social distancing, and viral load-- is something I so desperately miss. Time with others can be so easy to squander and so tough to savor in the everyday grind of life.

Long for contentment. Pray for community. Embrace the mundane. Cherish the moments. Remember the Master.