Grace in Nicaragua ... "A Poem in Closing"

This past month, members of Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, were part of a mission team in Nicaragua, partnering with the the Presbyterian Hunger Program and Equal Exchange, getting a first-hand look at the coffee farming business in Nicaragua. The trip will provide Presbyterians who are involved or interested in fair trade to see how it works and meet face-to-face with those who grow the coffee.

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Grace in Nicaragua ... "A Poem in Closing"

A cup.

A cup offered to you, to me, to us, and, from us, to others.

A cup of welcome.

A cup of invitation,

An invitation to share, to visit, to stay.

A stepping stone to a friendship, to a support system, to what matters.

A conduit for compassion, for consolation, for voicing concerns, for laughter, for sharing joy

In community.

What do you put in your cup?

Coffee, tea, water, milk, sugar, sweetener, honey?

Or sweat, hopes, dreams, determination and frustrations?

A cup.

So easy for us to fill to overflowing

At the expense of those we do not see.

It can be a cup…of salvation.

Much like what God offers to all, to us, to you, to me.

A cup filled with love, intentionality, respect, conscientiousness, and empowerment.

A cup--

Filled to the brim with such grace, can make a difference,

To a child, to a family, to a community.

Come join me;

A cup is waiting for you.

Judy Brown