Thursday, August 4, 2016

Your hidden message

About a year and a half ago I participated in a women's retreat where I received this coffee mug as a gift.  I love this particular mug and I use it a lot.  It holds a nice amount of coffee or soup and the handle is comfortable to hold. When I first got the mug it had a nice script on the front, just one word - Faith.  I noticed that pretty quickly that word faded, mostly because I wash this mug in the dishwasher and the letters pretty quickly disappeared.

This morning I reached for my favorite mug, filled it with nice bold coffee and as I set it down next to me the light shone on the front in a certain way - the word is still there!  The paint or decal that first was on top of the ceramic is gone, but there is a remnant of Faith still behind.


I am amazed that for the last year I have regularly used this mug and didn't notice that the faint remains of Faith are still there.  I often thought about it when I would reach for the mug, remembering the retreat where I received it, and how much I loved that word Faith.  I would also think about how our faith is so often hidden.  I was sad that the word was gone from my mug, but I knew inside of me that my faith is still there.  

There are many definitions of faith in my 1828 Webster's Dictionary.  I particularly love the theological and evangelical definitions:  Simple belief of the scriptures, of the being and perfections of God, and of the existence, character and doctrines of Christ...........the firm belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.

My faith is kind of like my favorite mug - at times (like when my mug was new) my faith is right out there for all to see.  It is bold, evident and encouraging to others.  Yet honestly, it is more like my mug now - my faith is always there, it is etched into the person that I am.  But is it visible for all to see?  Not as much as it should be!  I know it's there, and when the Light shines just exactly right my faith is easy for others to see.  I have held this mug up this morning to the light several times so that I can see that word again.  It reminds me to constantly nourish my soul with God's word and prayer - to allow the Light of Jesus  to shine in my life so that my faith is more visible for others to see.

What hidden message is etched deeply in you?

1 comment:

  1. Christmas is fast approaching. We all know that Christmas is the time we celebrated annually to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. This is where our family gathers together and celebrates together, Sharing gift to our love ones, and even for the unfortunate one. It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.
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