Anyone who knows me is aware of my unfortunate dependence on the bean of caffeine;  the juice; the latte; the java.  Unhealthy addictions aside, there’s no doubt in my mind that everything God created is good, check that..GREAT!  Of course, mankind has tried to improve on everything God has made, but that’s another blog topic altogether.  No doubt, God created coffee to be enjoyed.  Now, if I can substitute some of that enjoyment for the other aspects of His creation I’ll be the better for it. 
Sorry, I have to get this post back on track to a more important thought.  Fulfillment. I lament the wasted years of my life even though God can and does redeem wasted years, however, I’d like to be much further along in my Kingdom journey than where I am now.  Of course, if I have to point to someone to blame, it would have to be me.  If I were to give my spiritual tire-spinning a name, I would call it "The Pursuit of Fulfillment".  Keep in mind, this pursuit is worthy of doing.  We all should seek the completeness that at times evades us because until we obtain it, life can be pretty miserable. Misery often times comes in waves of guilt, the feeling of worthlessness, and non-discipline which are like trick candles on a birthday cake.  You exert a lot of personal energy in their extinguishment, but your wishes never get a chance to come true.  Blue faced and breathless, I’ve pursued fulfillment in countless ways through peer acceptance, career, and even through God’s work.  I have found all to be equal in fulfillment, that is to say, extremely lacking.  Oh sure, I would rather lead God’s people in musical worship every week as opposed to street sweeping, but it still doesn’t keep me from days where I wouldn’t mind pushing a broom for a few hours.  For grounding effect, we all need to wrap our minds around the truth of God’s purpose during the endless pursuit of fulfillment by thinking deeper than the cliches about our reason for existence and really soul-searching its meaning.  We were created for Him, although not as trophies on His cosmic shelf. Despite our embellical beginnings, God breathed life into our embryonic souls.  He is still our life-sustaining breath.  He didn’t create us to get by on artificial life support.  We still need His oxygen of grace. Our complex system of soul, spirit, mind, and body needs so much more than our feeble attempts at vitality.  God’s breath from God’s mouth has been the cure from day one. When He breathed into Adam’s nostrils, much more than biology was at stake! God’s breath not only expands the lungs, it fills the spiritual void. No matter what we try, we fall short of fulfillment, because to be fulfilled, you have to be filled!
Oh, the coffee thing.  If you are anything like me, you probably have more coffee cups in your cupboard than you can possibly use.  I find that coffee cups are a dime a dozen, available in droves at any weekend yard sale.  There are too many varieties of styles, colors, and sizes to count.  No one is too concerned with finding a coffee cup when one is needed. It doesn’t make a lot of difference what it looks like.  As long as it has the capacity to hold freshly brewed coffee as the aroma spirals back to me, that’s all the coffee drinker really cares about. 

When the cup was manufactured, it was with the intent that it would be filled with richly brewed coffee.The coffee cup reaches it’s potential as it’s personal void is filled. The cup’s usefulness is a direct result of its capacity to hold the coffee, because ultimately it’s all about the coffee! 
It would be silly to imagine that the coffee cup would be so obsessed with the way it was crafted or which shelf it resides, that it wouldn’t be happy enough to receive the coffee.  Even if the cup succeeded in finding a new shelf  to call home, it would probably be seldom used for coffee. Tragically (for the cup) it might even end up in one of those yard sales, or even worse, some landfill.  If the coffee cup could think or reason, would it find happiness in functioning as the container for the coffee?  Would it find satisfaction in being filled, or would it hold out hope for a different beverage?
Of course, if the coffee itself could think or reason, I’m sure it would be pleased to know that there is a willing cup ready to receive it. If only the coffee and the cup would unify, some fortunate soul can receive the pleasure of a good cup of joe.

Talking coffee cups?  Seriously?  They don’t need to talk.  They don’t need to think.  They are what they are, and when they’re filled to the brim, they’re at their intended best!  Fulfilled!