The Overflow

There was milk in my refrigerator.
I don’t mean cartons of milk, though there are many of those.
I mean there was milk that was somehow leaking from one of the cartons.
I found it as I took the carton out so I could pour some milk.

Our family has always been milk drinkers.
When all my children were living at home, we went through 13-14 gallons of milk each week.
Even my husband and I still go through 4-5 gallons weekly.
We all drink milk with every meal.

I buy organic fat free milk for myself and my youngest daughter.
The rest of the family likes to drink 1% milk.
When everyone is home, the fat free milk is poured into different glasses.
That way there is never a mix up.

Every time I reached for the carton over the weekend, there was milk pooled underneath.
I was placing folded paper towels underneath the suspected carton.
When I went back to pour more milk, the paper towel was damp.
However, milk was under the carton next to it as well.

I couldn’t find the suspected leak.
When we finished a half gallon carton and put it in recycling, I thought the problem was solved.
To my dismay, milk was still leaking from somewhere.
My youngest daughter watched me pour some milk from one of the cartons.

There it is Mom; it’s coming from that one, she said pointing.
I was delighted that we found the leaking carton.
That is until I grabbed another carton and saw milk pooled underneath.
I was frustrated just like a detective would be who could not solve a mystery.

I couldn’t bring the cartons back to the store since they were opened.
I didn’t want to waste milk since I needed to have it on hand for my family.
I saw a toll free number on the carton and made a mental note to call the next morning.
I called and told them how I have been very happy with their organic products.

I told them the amount of milk we drink each week.
I told them that I have been a faithful customer.
Then I told them the problem I have been dealing with.
I could hear the girl on the phone typing as I was telling her the problem.

I gave her the UPC number.
I gave her the expiration date.
I gave her the other numbers that were after the date on the top of the carton.
I told her where I purchased the milk.

She was surprised that all four cartons of milk were leaking.
She concluded that there was a problem with that particular lot of cartons.
It was a quality control issue.
She graciously apologized for all the trouble their cartons caused.

She took my name and address in order for the company to send a reimbursement.
That was not the purpose of my call, I assured her.
We want you to stay a loyal customer, she said.
Something went terribly wrong; this report will go to quality control so it can be remedied.

I had finished all of that milk and began using another type that I had purchased elsewhere.
There were no leaks.
There was no need for folded paper towels under the milk cartons.
The problem was placed into the hands of someone who could fix it.

The whole situation got me thinking.
It was a problem to clean up spilled milk in my refrigerator all weekend.
It was just a tiny leak, seemingly coming from the seam along the bottom of the cartons.
One tiny seam that was not sealed properly allowed quite a bit of milk to spill out.

Spilled milk is a negative thing.
It is messy and leaves a residue everywhere.
I found myself turning the situation into something positive.
What if instead of milk, joy was leaked instead?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Overflow.
What an wonderful word.
God fills us with joy and peace as we trust in Him.
God fills us so much we just have to overflow.

We overflow to our family.
We overflow to our neighbors.
We overflow to our co-workers.
We overflow to the stranger on the street.

There is so much joy and peace inside us that it has to go somewhere.
Towels cannot sop it up.
Joy and peace leave a residue everywhere we go.
The residue is everywhere we go because we bring the Spirit of God with us everywhere we go.

Can you imagine what can be started when God fills us with His joy and peace?
His joy and peace will trickle out of us like a slow leak at first.
Then, the slow leak becomes a pouring out.
The pouring out becomes an overflow that gushes over every place we set our feet.

That overflow can only happen when we trust in Him.
That trust allows His joy and the peace to flow in.
That flow is continuous.
It gushes as we grow deeper in our faith.

I want that overflow in my life.
I want people to see Him when they see me.
I want there to be a residue of joy and peace wherever I go.
I want that overflow to be so enticing that others will want to know Him as well.

Knowing Him will soon become trusting Him.
The overflow leaves Hansel and Gretel crumbs of joy and peace in our wake.
We leave a residue everywhere we go.
A positive spilling of joy and peace that impact others for Him.

God delights in filling us to overflowing.
God enjoys seeing His peace and His joy spill out of our lives and onto others.
There are not enough towels in the world that can clean up the joy filled spills of God.
Let it overflow so that others can know the joy and peace of the Lord for themselves.