I recently learned of a tradition I had never heard of which dates to the 18th Century. People would intentionally overfill their coffee or teacup and let some of the drink pool up in the saucer. I consider myself an avid coffee drinker, so I decided to investigate this tradition. Generally, people did this to cool the drink more quickly. They would sip from the saucer until the cup cooled and then finish by drinking from the cup. George Washington once asked Thomas Jefferson why he sipped from the saucer. “To cool it, of course,” was the reply. Washington retorted, “Even so, we pour legislation into our senatorial saucers to cool it.” He was pointing out the need for two houses of Congress – the House and the Senate. As often happens, this tradition became symbolic to some. When one little boy asked his grandmother why she sipped from the saucer she responded, “It reminds me every morning, my cup overflows.”
I like that last part. Of course, my mind is immediately drawn to David’s renowned 23rd Psalm: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5). David described the abundance of God’s blessings in his life as an overflowing cup. This is not to imply David’s life was without hardship – indeed, he faced more difficulties than most. But the difficulties he had to endure were nothing compared to God’s bountiful blessings. The Apostle Paul seems to have the same mindset when he describes the difficulties he faced in this life compared to the riches of heaven. He wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
Brethren, life has its challenges. Some face more than others. But when we think about the blessings we have in Christ and the joys of heaven as our reward, I hope we all realize we are sipping from the saucer – our cup has overflowed!
Michael S. Green