Not a Cup, But a Well
Amy here this morning. Can I just tell you how sweet our new baby is? He sleeps a lot. He lets his siblings hold him all the time. I’m trying to slow down soak up all the baby snuggles while I can.
I’ll be honest, I don’t know what all happened on the farm this week. I know we bought some heifers from a neighbor over the weekend. Will is single handedly doing all the farm chores. He’s feeding animals and filling orders. I’m thankful for a farmer who works double time while I am at home more.
We all went to Knoxville for a meat delivery on Monday. Then Will and I made another delivery to Bristol and Kingsport on Thursday. It’s not too late to order for Abingdon, Marion, and Chilhowie for the deliveries on Saturday and Monday.
Wren also set up a tea party for us this week. So we ate dinner in the mudroom with fancy teacups.
On Wednesday evenings we have music lessons and jam sessions at our house. It’s one of the best parts of my week. I love to see the kids singing and developing a passion for music. Hallie and Hasten have been taking online music lessons through Voetburg Music Academy.
I read an article this week by Katie Voetberg that really struck a note with me.
As a busy mom, I’ve heard people say, “You’ve got to fill your cup so that you can pour out to your family.” How do I fill up my cup then? More “me time”? A girls night with friends? A quiet room to read a good book?… None of these are bad things, but they can only fill my cup for so long.
“The trouble is, a cup has to be filled from the outside. While it is filling up, it cannot be pouring out.”
I’ve always struggled with that analogy. I can never get my cup full enough with “me time”. I pour myself out and then I’m completely out of patience, I snap at my kids, I’m too exhausted to complete the house chores or farm chores…
However, as a Christian mom I am not a cup, I am a Well.
“A Well is not filled from the outside, it bubbles up from deep aqueducts… A Well never pauses in its offering of cool, refreshing water. It fills from within as it pours out. It’s source is always abundant, the children are never in danger of drawing too much.”
“Our own Lord and Savior offers his perfect example of being scorned, thirsty, hungry and pouring, pouring, pouring out to the clamoring and thankless crowds.” He even patiently answered the disciplines numerous questions each day. Any moms out there get tired of answering questions all day?
“Early saints, Paul and Silas, were beaten, imprisoned—their tormentors sure they had drained them completely dry. But still their wells bubbled up with joyful praises. They return to spreading God’s love with scabs of blood still fresh.”
“You cannot drain a Well, because it does not flow from itself. It pours out to others from a source so deep, no one can ever fathom it’s depths.”
From you, "people draw peace, rest, a kind smile, a place to lay their head, a soothing voice, at all times. Because the Well isn’t dependent on itself to refresh others. Its only task is to stay connected to the source from which all good things come.”
“A good night’s rest, time in prayer, a nourishing meal, a vigorous walk—all contribute to the joy in serving. Repenting from sin, time with dear friends, sitting in the silence and meditating, all bless our souls.”
“But even if a Well is lacking the energy to be a very good Well, the water keeps coming, the Well can keep giving, and the people can keep coming. Not connecting to just the Well itself, but to the source of the Well’s blessing. To a loving God.”
“God is gracious to remind me that wells can be filled, even while they are emptying. He says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
“We can be thirsty ourselves and be refreshed even as our hearts pour out rivers of his living water on others.”
What a beautiful analogy. I don’t feel like a Well most days, but I want to. I want to stay fully connected to Christ all day every day. I want to be a light as I reflect Christ. Women often ask me, how do you do it all? And I don’t, I could do so much better in many areas of my life, but I can’t do any of it without Christ. He is my source of joy, peace, and contentment that helps me juggle this crazy life.
To read Katie Voetberg’s full article click on the link below. If you are a mom you might want to subscribe to her email list. She and her husband also host a podcast called Now That We’re a Family. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of their episodes.