Getting a Handle on Life - A Parable

There was once a congregation of cup handles whose hearts were turned toward the Lord. They often sat in their chairs and discussed how they could be more spiritual. In their seeking of God, their thoughts often turned towards their inadequacies.

During one such meeting, one handle mentioned that she wished she were a deep handle. She just knew that the day she stopped being so shallow would be the day she became spiritual. And so she tried hard to think deep thoughts.

Another perfectly formed handle also despaired of ever becoming spiritual. Everyone knew that to become spiritual, one had to have problems; in fact, the more the merrier. It was called the wilderness. If one wilderness was good, then perpetual wildernesses were better. Sometimes, he wondered if he should go create a wilderness just so he could qualify to become spiritual.

And another one was the wrong shape. Everyone knew that a handle that shape obviously had problems. His shape would just have to go.

And another one had a broken heart . . . but it felt like half a heart. She knew it got broken because of foolishness. But by now, all she was trying to do was survive. Spiritual . . . that was for the strong and resolute.

And another one was just plain quirky and odd. Chances are he could spend a lifetime 'unquirking' himself. And if he wasn’t careful, his whole life would become about that. But they all knew that spiritual people weren’t weird. So weird was just going to have to go.

Somewhere in all of this, the cup got overlooked, except for by one handle. He knew that when he felt shallow, he would cling to the cup. When he was reminded of his wrong shape, he would cling to the cup. When his broken heart incapacitated him, he would cling to the cup and when his personality and dysfunctions worked against him, he would cling to the cup. This handle knew that life was not about handles looking good and being good, but about being connected to the cup. 

Life was about the cup, what was in the cup and being connected to the cup. 

(As Jesus said in Zaccheaus 1:12 “In order to get a handle on life, one must be well-connected.” - just kidding.)