Coffee Spoons                                                   05-20-16

1 Corinthians 9:26 (ESV) ²⁶  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

"I have measured my life out with coffee spoons."

 .......???.....huh???? What did you say Ronnie? Yeah, I hear you. But, this is my story and I'm sticking to it. You may have in times past thought that I might be a little strange. Well,....read on for a couple of paragraphs and remove all doubt!! (smile)

In my job, I do a lot of driving. About 3-4 hours a night spent rolling up and down I-40 and I-81. While driving a long stretch last night, I was praying about what I should write about today. Somewhere on I-81, out of the clear night sky ,the above quote entered my head. That is a quote from a T.S.Eliot poem of the 1920's(?) The reason that I am familiar with this quote is because I had to write an essay on that one line from the poem. This was in an English Lit class in 1968!!! I could not even remember the substance of my essay.

Listen folks, I have not read a poem SINCE 1968!! Poetry is not my thing. There is absolutely NO reason that this should have crossed my supremely unpoetic mind. You feelin' me here? As I was imagining the men in the white coats soon coming for me, something prompted me to look up just what a coffee spoon was used for. Well, needless to say it is used with coffee. But, it was the PURPOSE of the spoon that caught my eye.

Rules of etiquette notwithstanding, it seems that a coffee spoon is smaller than a teaspoon so as not to cause too much cooling when agitating the coffee after adding cream or sugar. I'm not kidding you ESPN watchers, you can find this on the internet. It is designed to have LESS EFFECT than a teaspoon on the temperature of the coffee.In the world of spoons, the coffee spoon is the teaspoon's poorer relation. 

Then I remembered the poem and my essay. Eliot, in my view, was saying that his life had lost meaning. His purpose and the impact he had in his world could be measured with a coffee spoon. And then the Holy Spirit put that verse in my heart. Now, in context Paul was speaking about the need for self control and discipline. But, there was a reason, a PURPOSE to do so. You see Paul was encouraging us against losing purpose in this life. It's easy to do isn't it? I remember my mother battling with that the last few years of her life. She would sometimes ask me and my sister why she was still here. She felt some times that she wasn't helping anyone. She wasn't having any effect or purpose. I mention that only to illustrate the struggles that we all have sometimes.

You know how it goes don't you? You go to school, you get married, you have kids and grand kids. But, eventually the kids grow up and get their own lives. Then the grand kids grow up and don't come around very much anymore. all of a sudden you wake up one day and no one NEEDS you anymore. As my friend says "You get dressed up for the party, but there's no party to go to." You have no effect or impact, no one seems to be listening.

Or,on the other end of the spectrum, this is your life. You wake up, you go to work, you come home, you go to bed. Tomorrow you can look forward to..............repeating the process. Or as us unpoetic ESPN watchers like to say.....you get an instant replay.

The treadmill drains you of purpose and meaning and turns you into a robot. So, take your pick. Rat race or sitting on the porch watching all the big dogs.

But, is that what God has in mind for us? I don't think so.God has a purpose for us no matter where we are in the cycle of life, don't you think? 9 or 99, if we're still above ground, He's not done with us yet. WE STILL HAVE A REASON FOR LIVING. A PURPOSE. ALL WE MUST DO IS FIND IT!!  

Look at this. An obscure, well not obscure, a single statement spoken  by Paul to a fellow named Archippus.

Colossians 4:17 (ESV) ¹⁷  And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

Now I don't know how old Archippus was. I don't know his particular circumstance in life. However, Paul did not take that into account did he? He encouraged Archippus to fulfill the ministry he had received IN THE LORD.

What we need do here is fill our name in that verse in Archippus' place. Notice what God's Word says here. "See that you fulfill..."  Archippus YOU see to it. Ronnie YOU see to it. It's not whether God has given us something to do. No,no. It's a matter of seeking Him out and discovering what He has in store for us.

Brothers and sisters ,, we ALL need a reason to get up in the morning. We have to have a purpose. Now,I don't know what purpose or ministry that God has in store for you. It may be taking a guitar lesson. It may be writing a weekly blog. Only God can tell you. But, I do know this, we need a reason for living. God has a purpose for you. You can still be effectual. You can still have  an impact. Put your name in the above verse. 

See to it. You're no coffee spoon.

Psalm 81:10 (ESV) ¹⁰  I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.


God Bless