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Tea for Two // A Quiet One-on-One Gathering with God

by | Faith, Gatherings | 26 comments

Gathering each week to worship the One true God is life-giving.

Gathering with the One, quiet and alone, is a sacred delight.

 

This gathering requires no preparations. Simply come.

 

Sometimes, especially after a hard season in life, or in the middle of one, I find comfort in setting an intentional table for two. This tea time with God isn’t a weird “fluffy feel good” practice. It’s an intentional act that flies in the face of my enemy who never tires of reminding me of past sins or current failures.

But God’s nearness is the key that unlocks both my hope and joy. So I simply come.

Two teacups sit on my farm table. One cup holds a teabag. The other holds a place at the table, reminding me that my Heavenly Father’s presence is that near.

As the kettle whistles and the water pours, my cup blossoms into rich amber. Its rising fragrance reminds me of the incense that arose from the Holy of Holies, representing the prayers of God’s people.

Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Psalm 141:2

 

As I sip my tea — time slows to a sacred pace. I sit still and quiet.

 

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

There’s nothing natural about stilling the heart and mind. (Lately, it seems the more unnatural/uncomfortable something feels, the more convinced I am it is of God.) He wants us to know Him. I can’t wrap my head around this truth but I fully embrace it with every drop of gratitude possible.

Let these truths settle deep in the soul: God never hides from us, ignores our pain, or fiddles with a phone when we speak. Nothing is too small, too big, too high, or too wide for His reach. He is ever-present.

 

May these truths never wear thin in the fabric of our everyday lives.

 

As I sip my tea, I read His Word aloud, pray, and talk with Him as I would with a friend sitting across from me. Words aren’t always necessary, just like any relationship. “Happy masks” are exchanged for the freedom that is mine through Jesus. In Him, I can be me — a repeat offender, quirky, and quite the mess, but it’s in this same freedom I recognize that “being me” doesn’t negate my sinfulness. In fact, it highlights it, and for my good. So I confess and close out our time by thanking God for who He is:

  • Heavenly Father
  • Holy
  • Just
  • Forgiving, full of grace
  • Omniscient
  • Omnipresent
  • El Roi, the God who sees

 

The quiet power of our tea-for-two lingers long after the last sip, thanks be to Jesus.

 

Have you practiced something similar? Is there a particular name of God you’re leaning into these days? I’d love for you to share your thoughts with us in the comment section.

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Would You Like A Spot of Tea With Your Wait?

by | Faith | 6 comments

 

A Blue and White Tea for Two

by Cathy Baker

During the frenzied search for my diamond a couple weeks ago, Piper spotted a stack of blue and white china tea cups set aside for posting on Craig’s List. Picking up a tea cup ever so carefully, Piper let out a giggle and asked if we could have a tea party.

Now, I’ve dreamed of tea parties with granddaughters for years but I didn’t
expect my first opportunity to occur while frantically searching for
such a sentimental stone. It was, however, impossible to turn down such a delightful invitation so I set aside the search and began washing tea cups.

We put the kettle on, listened for the perky whistle, and buttered a little bread, excited about our impromptu tea party.

 

Notice whose cup is empty first!

I stood in the kitchen waiting for the perfect shade of English to appear in our cups while Piper set the tea tray. Within moments, I caught sight of the diamond lying upside down on the kitchen counter, only inches away from our cups.

This happens so often in life, doesn’t it? 

What we need—what we really need—often emerges during a time of waiting.

  • We wait for test results.
  • We wait for deep needs to be met and understood by those we love most.
  • We wait for loneliness to subside.
  • We wait for answers to questions that may never be resolved this side of heaven.
  • We wait for the tea to brew.

I’m not a fan of waiting. Divine works, however, seem to thrive where a willingness to wait exists. Not the twiddling-my-thumbs kind of wait but one that’s willing to trust in God’s strength and sovereignty, regardless of the outcome. His courage is ours for the taking!

 

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Psalm 27:14 ESV

Leave it to a grinning granddaughter with a teacup pinched between her fingers to serve as a reminder that oftentimes our greatest blessings are discovered in the waiting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s one thing you’ve discovered during a time of waiting?

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