Tea Time

Just The Two of Us

Take time for just the two of us Time that we can share,

Meaningful timeTime to reflect, talk, and really care.

Hear the quietness within your whispers

Feel your warmth and loveUnderstand your desire for our closeness

In my time of need you are always there.

You call to me everyday

An invitation to come and pray

Bring my cup you say

Hold it high as you fill it with your savory tea.

You empty out everything that poisons

And wash it totally away

You fill my cup with compassion and joy

For each upcoming day.

Help me to understand you

Help me to listen even more

To your ever so loving whispers

As I savor your cup of tea.

By Debbie Ingold

My love for tea cups started when my dad purchased a beautiful tea set for my mom when I was just a little girl. Mom never had a place to show off her tea set, so it stayed packed safely in it's box except for when during quiet times in the house I would pull the tea set out and play tea party. The warmth I felt as I pretended to share imaginary tea with imaginary friends told me there really was something about tea and tea parties.

When I was 16 years old my dad purchased me my first tea set. I cherish this set to this day, not a chip, not a crack, maybe a little fading in the had painting from age, but the memories are still as strong today as they were when I first spotted the tea set in an apple stand along the freeway. Though my set looks nothing like my mom's set, I just had to have it. Today it sits in a curior cabinet where all can see and I take every chance I get to share the story of that tea set with anyone who will listen.

Over the years I have collected many other tea sets and tea cups, some I received from my sister, children, husband, mother and friends. Each one nestled in curior cabinets, on shelves or on my desk all tell a story of their own. At a time when my life feel so full like there just isn't any more time just for me, I love to make tea, pull out one of my favorite tea cups and just allow time to stop. When I see a dear friend coming to the end of her rope from being so busy I love to extend an invite to a tea party just to share with her the warmth that I get from the tea and the rejuvination that takes place in both of our lives as we share stories and the aromic tea.

One Christmas my kids discovered a few books about tea cups, tea time, and tea parties. Now over the time I have collected quite a few of these books. When I was visiting a friend of mine I noticed on her end table a tea book for homeschooling Mom's. Her and I have been friends for many years and when ever we are together we always share tea. I guess it never dawned on me until I discovered that book, that we were coming together in God's love, sharing our good times, troubles, and just simple chit chat over this wonderful tea.

Just as a friend can warm our day with just a simple cup of tea, if we allow God the opportunity by lifting our tea cup up to Him, He will empty out all the junk in our lives and fill our cup until it is running over with His compassion, love, and beauty. This is the secret I learned about tea cups and why I love them so very much. Now days I look at all my tea cups and tea sets, and realize it isn't the cups, and sets them selves that add to my life, but it is the knowing that with God in my life these tea cups and sets will never be empty. No matter how faded they are getting, they are all just as beautiful to my heart as they were the first day I received them, they all carry a special time in my life, and if only they could talk the stories they would tell you, the hardships, the troubles, the good times, but mostly how God has used each and everyone of them to fill my life with warmth, compassion, and most of all His love!