Hymns by Lester Ray Sandy: "Once I Had an Empty Vessel"

	Once I had an empty vessel. There was nothing good within. Then I learned about the Savior, And He filled it to the brim. He put life and joy within it, Gave me gifts from Heaven's store. Filled me with His great salvation, And my cup is running o'er.
	Yes, that cup that once was empty Is now filled with peace and love. And the manna that was needed Is now coming from above. Feasting in the love of Jesus, I will praise Him ever more. He has given many blessings, Fills my cup for evermore.
	With that fountain ever flowing While the gates are open wide. With the blessed stream of Calvary Ever flowing from His side. With the nail-scarred still reaching As they did in days of yore. Know my mansion there is waiting, And my cup is running o'er.
	Proves my friends that I once doubted, Now my faith has been revived. Know that truth cannot be hidden By the ways that have been tried. Then I see His wondrous beauty That I never saw before. Now I have the eyes of Jesus, And my cup is running o'er
	Gives me faith that once was lacking, Took away my doubt and fear. Learned to love and call upon him, For I know that He is near. With the mighty tempest round me, I can hear the billows roar. Still I hear the voice of Jesus, And my cup is running o'er.

What I was trying to express in this graphic is a visual representation of Grandpa's hymn with life before Christ represented by the barren valley with only rocks and cliff face. From the nail-scarred hands of Christ comes pouring the living water that causes the landscape to flourish into wooded hills before passing back into the ocean to restart the water cycle with Christ in the heavens. To the left is a copy of the original graphic without the muting so that you can see the detail a little more clearly.
The cup used in the graphics is one from my grandparents' china, a pattern called "Martha Washington by Sabin with 22 k "Crest--o-Gold" hand-painted rim. During junior high and high school, I went to my grandparents' apartment several times a week after school and shared a cup of hot tea with my grandmother before playing Scrabble with my Grandfather. These are the very cups that we used. Before she died, she gave me some of those dishes in memory of the times we spent together.

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