Morning Tea

I love a good cup of hot tea in the morning. English tea is my favorite. A little milk and sugar and an open window to hear those sweet Florida birds! Of course this easy start to the day is sometimes hard to come by. I try to finish my ‘tea and devotion’ time before the girls get up, but you know how it is. Seems like I could bang every pot and pan in the house while stomping around their room and they’d just snooze right through. But let me sit down for a quiet moment, and they’re up before my rear hits the cushion! "Mom, where’s my shirt?", "Mom, the dog wants out!", "Mom, can I have breakfast?", " Mom, she promised she’d be in my band if I helped her save up money to buy a horse and now she quit!" (Don’t ask.)

Anyway, God gave me a nice long tea time this morning and I was reminded of an event our church in Georgia hosted.

The Senior Ladies hosted an afternoon tea for us middle-aged women and the teen girls acted as the wait staff. It was a blast! Rediculously large brimmed hats, white linen on the tables, and beautiful floral centerpieces. We were to be served finger sandwiches, scones, and an assortment of dainty pastries. As for the tea cups, they were all different! There were about seventy-five women in attendance, and every tea cup was unique. It became a kind of game to see who at each table had the prettiest cup. Everyone had an opinion, of course. ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ .

After the tea, we had a speaker to give a time of devotion. Turns out, she was quite the traveler. She had collected every tea cup and saucer herself! (I believe my cup was from a small town in Germany. ) When she returned to the states, God spoke to her about a ministry using her extensive collection. She now packs up her tea sets and travels around to churches sharing His word.

"Some tea cups are beautiful, some are plain. Some have outward beauty, some have the most intricate details on the inside. Some tea cups are new, fresh and unscathed. Others have been damaged along the way.

They may have cracks, broken bits, or chipped paint from rough handling. Some are stained from years of use. Some are deep, some are shallow. Some may instantly catch your eye,

while others are simply overlooked.

The thing to remember is this, they were all lovingly designed by their creator. Designed to match His vision of them. They all started as a lump of clay,

but through patient working and molding, their individuality was realized.

They are all useful, no matter the appearance. They can be filled, poured out, and filled again.

They are doing the work they were made to do.

So it is with us. We are all unique. And whether we are plain or fair, whole or

somewhat damaged by the trials of this world, we too can fulfill

the masters purpose for our lives. We are to be filled with his love, poured out for others,

and renewed each day."

It was a comfort this morning to remember, it doesn't matter how I look, feel, or perceive my life to be. God can use me - If I let Him.