I picked up my coffee this morning, and it was cold. No surprises there. Some days are measured by the number of times my cup finds its way to the microwave. I know I am not alone in this.

I use the Marco Polo app to talk with other mama friends, and I think the subject of cold coffee or microwaved coffee comes up at least twice a week. As moms, we laugh because this is just another part of motherhood.

But this morning I got to thinking about this cold cup. I thought, what does it really represent? And Jesus spoke.

This cold cup of coffee is about sacrifice. The cold cup is a baby fed, a tantrum soothed, medicine given, diapers changed, boo boos healed, books read, imaginations fostered, and the list goes on. The cold cup is our children’s needs above our own. The cold cup, my friends, is the gospel.

Jesus laid his life down for us. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be healed and reconciled to God. Matthew 20:28 says that Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” When we allow our cups to grow cold, we are living the gospel. We are following Christ and loving others (our children) the way He loves us.

So the next time you find yourself grumbling over your microwaved coffee, I challenge you to see it as a reminder of His grace and goodness. He says to you, “Well done, child, I am proud of you.” And goodness, how badly do we need to hear that each day?