3 Ways to Fill A Mug with Encouragement
The sooner we stop believing the lie that we must offer some grand gesture to make a difference, the sooner more souls will find rest⎯the kind of rest a good, good Father desires for His children.
Maybe you remember the above quote from last week’s post? There, I shared a simple way to put our desire to encourage into action. If you didn’t catch last week’s post, you may want to read it here before reading today’s.
Okay, now let’s get started! There are obviously a multitude of creative ways to fill a mug for another but let’s begin with three. (Watch for more in July!)
3 Ways to Fill A Mug With Encouragement and A Prayer
Do you know a frazzled mom (school is out, after all!), or a neighbor going through a difficult time? Or maybe a friend or co-worker seeking God for particular answers? Once you’ve purchased a mug, enclose a note, along with 4-5 individually wrapped tea bags (read the tea box carefully – if it says “sachets” the tea is not individually wrapped.) The note can be from you, encouraging the recipient to take a few moments to sip and savor the tea during their time with God, including the verse above. Or, the note could read something like this: “I look forward to My time with you. Love, Jesus” Psalm 46:10.
Maybe you know someone struggling to find their way creatively, albeit cooking something new for the family, a project at work that refuses to budge, or an artist/writer wrestling the proverbial block to the ground. A mug is the perfect fit for a set of colorful pencils.Try finding a mug taller than it is wide so the pencils will have more support. Take the pencils out of the box and put them sharpened end up. On the enclosed note, one idea might be to write something like: “God created you to be creative. Like Father, like Daughter/Son.” Of course, nothing says you can’t attach an adult coloring book with the mug but the point here is to keep it simple. The colored pencils and your note of encouragement is sure to bring a smile to his/her face.
Just in my circle of friends, three have received a cancer diagnosis this past year. In the past six months, two friends have lost an adult child. As a person who struggles with depression I know how tightly the darkness can cling, wanting to swallow me whole at times. Maybe you, or someone you know, struggles as well. Whatever form darkness takes, the Father stands ready to envelope us in the light of His love, mercy, and grace. Oh, what a glorious light! There are no shadows, no shifting lights of “what if’s” in His light — only the purest form of love. One that would choose a temporal but excruciating cross so that we might not have to endure an eternal one. In this mug, place an unscented candle, perhaps wrapped in tissue paper, inside the mug. {Unscented because fragrance isn’t a friend to everyone, and we don’t want a candle scenting the mug.} On the note, simply write John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” It doesn’t get any more encouraging than that, unless you add a handwritten sentence letting the recipient know you are praying for him/her…and then pray.
For all of the above mug ideas, be sure to encourage the recipient to pass it on, and most importantly, stay sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. He may want to change it up…and if so, to God be the glory! These are simply ideas.
Is there one of the three above ideas that resonates with you today? If so, I love to hear about it. Please share in the comment section. Thank you!
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