'Ode to a Big Green Cup

I have this huge green drinking cup on my desk at work.  It was one of a larger set that my wife donated to Goodwill because they, as she said, "are ugly."  That was a gloomy day in the Stith household for me.  I loved those green cups, mainly because they were so huge. I drink a lot of water and, well, they held at least two and half cups! Filling one of those babies saved me about three trips to the faucet.

Seeing my beloved cups sitting in a bag on the kitchen floor one morning, ready for donation, I was overcome with separation anxiety and did the unthinkable. Somewhere there is a family, one shy of a full set of beautiful, huge, green plastic cups.

For the past ten years -- could be more, I've lost count-- that cup has followed me through two job changes, each time taking it's honored place to the right of my computer monitor. It's been a faithful companion.

About two months ago, I noticed that my green friend had developed a small, almost invisible crack at the rim.   Because it was so small, I ignored it, thinking it was no big deal.  Sitting at my desk a few weeks later, having just filled my trusty cup to the brim with agua, I became alarmed to see a small puddle developing at it's base.  Turning the cup around, I noticed the almost invisible crack had developed into an inch and a half crevice. "I'm going to have to fix that," I thought to myself .  I quickly drank enough water to bring the level below the bottom of the breach and went on with my work.

That was five weeks ago.  Since then, the crack has steadily crept its way further and further down the side of my beloved green cup.  It's a shadow of what it once was.  Today, I can only fill it a little over half way full, not much more than a regular sized cup can hold.  If I had attempted to solder the crack when it first appeared, this may never have happened.  At this point, I'm not sure it's fixable.

In Ephesians 4:27 - 32 we read, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil...Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

I realize the analogy isn't perfect.  After all, anger or bitterness toward a green cup is rather ridiculous.  I do confess, however, to having had some less than charitable thoughts when I absent-mindedly filled the cup to the brim and got water on my desk.  But you get the point.  

When cracks form in our relationships, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, we do everything we can to repair them immediately.  Left unattended, small cracks can turn into crevices. The level of love those relationships once held can begin to diminish, seeping out through unresolved hurts, perceived injustices or misunderstandings.

The sad truth is, relationships don't usually disintegrate because of one event. Rather, they are the culmination of months, maybe even years, of neglect. They are the end result of love taken for granted, care and concern never communicated, apologies never extended or hurts never healed.  Love, while it may be overflowing on the inside, if left unexpressed or purposely withheld during times of conflict, gradually separates even the closest of friends. It doesn't have to be that way.

Week after week, I watch the crevice in my cherished cup grow longer.  I know that eventually I'll have to send my dear inanimate friend to the great white dumping grounds, aka, the trash bin under my desk.  If only I had acted sooner. I'm not sure I'll ever find another quite as large, durable or reliable. They just don't make them like they used to. 

Maybe I'll try Goodwill.