My Cup Runs Over

I have been a lot of things in my life, but I can say I have been blessed, and my cup truly runs over with the favor of the Lord.

I have not always been a Christian. I think I set the record for being a silly boy, than a silly man. Through all of that I have been blessed.

Mom did the best she could to raise me the right way, but I was hard headed and wanted to do it my way. I know I should be dead or in jail. I believe God has a plan for you and many of the things that happen to you in life, happen because God has something for you to do.

Many of the things that happen to you can be used to help others as you witness to them in your life journey. This is the service you pay for the Blessings you have.

I was a typical boy rough and ready. I tell you this, because one needs to know from where you coming from in order to let you see where you are trying to go.

After high school I joined the Army. During those days the crowd I ran around with took great pride in drinking, racing cars, and in general acting like someone that really needed help.

I tell you this because that is the only way you can fully understand why I can stand so firm in my conviction that I have been blessed so much so I know my cup runs over. I believe everything I have above zero I received from the Savior Himself.

As a young boy I thought I could conquer the world. I could run faster, had more curves than a twisted road, and yet I was blessed. I did not know it at the time, but God was preparing me for future work.

Why do I think this way? During my time in Korea I saw horrible sights and they are still with me after all these years. Hundreds fell on the left, and thousands fell on the right, but I was not hurt in any way.

After Korea, racing cars, turning them over and being able to walk away each. After three times you know it must be something beside you!

Vietnam offered its own set of trials. I would go out at night sometimes by myself with no fear. At that stage of my life I don't think I was smart enough to know fear. To you it may sound strange, but it is true.There were times I would seem to get a premonition about something and respond to it.

Times that I feel I should have been destroyed and yet I escaped unharmed. When a company gets all but wiped out, that is over two hundred men and only five make it and you are one of them I think it is good to say I have been blessed.

When a robber comes into the store and starts shooting and shoot until the police arrive and fires at you at point blank range and miss, you are blessed. I feel my cup surely runs over with the grace and mercy of the Almighty God.

These may not seem like blessings to you, but if you think about seven years and nine months of combat that is hot fire, I can tell the world that my cup runs over.

Each time I speak to kids at risk, I must tell them about the blessings of God. Many of them don't know their cup has already started to run over.

I tell them that I tell God thanks every chance I get, and I invited them to give thanks because God has been good to them.

To me, it is one of the many fold blessings to tell the world how sweet it is to have the grace and mercy.

Yes, yes, yes, my cup runs over! I am a senior citizen and have a reasonable portion of health and strength. I have a wife and family that look up to me and most of all I have a God to serve and a Lord to glorify.

My cup runs over!

I can not tell others how to feel or if they feel blessed. I can speak for myself and I feel blessed to carry the banner. Sometime I wonder what did I to get the blessings that have been given to me.

I see young people today and know the world belongs to them if they humble themselves before God Himself. I wonder how can you see the results of grace so abundant and mercy so great. And yet, that cup, that full cup of grace sits in front of all us. We just need to look and say Thank God!