Tea

Tea has been my hot drink of choice since I was 12. My voice teacher had recommended I drink it with honey mixed in when I had a sore throat, and I really learned to love it! In my family, I am the only tea drinker, though Dad will have a cup occasionally (he religiously has at least a cup or two of strong coffee every day), and I have managed a handful of times to talk Mom into having some echinacea tea when she's sick, or a more palatable flavor for a scratchy throat. Chaela detests tea, saying it tastes too much like leaves. (Yes, she knows why.)

Outside of my family, I have met many avid tea drinkers, and have enjoyed sipping mint (my favorite!) or whatever they recommend to me while visiting. I've discovered that a warm mug and aromatic drink can spark interesting conversations, ranging from topics such as the BBC TV show, Doctor Who (I still haven't gotten to see "The Day of the Doctor"!) and the best places to travel, to a two-hour-long conversation about personal salvation testimonies and witnessing.

Most recently, I have had the enjoyment of serving tea to our new landlord and getting to listen to him talk about all the interesting people he has met and worked with (including Mother Theresa!). The other wonderful time I had over tea within the last week or so was with one of our friends who helped us with this move, Jonathon. He and I met up to chat and catch up at a tea shop not too far from home, where I got to try a chai blend I'd never tasted before while discussing C.S. Lewis, Lord of the Rings, teaching at my old homeschool group (more on that later, probably), and how God has worked in our lives. I hadn't meant to stay too long since I knew Mom would want my help at home with organizing and cleaning things, but before I knew it, the clock near told me I'd been nursing my tea-burnt tongue and talking for nearly three hours!



Maybe it's because I like tea so much, but I have always liked Eleanor Roosevelt's little saying,

"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."

Anyway, it seems to fit how this year has panned out pretty nicely. Well, at least I hope it fits in a good way. Since this time last year, my family and/or I have been through so much - getting to take care of Gavin, then giving him back to my aunt; church hunting yet again; Jon taking me to Iowa with him over spring break; Dad's deployment; tons of house-hunting and house-showings; a best friend's wedding and all the fun and craziness that goes with that; school complications; Jon's and my breakup; balancing school, somewhat excessive travel, and a job; giving my two weeks' notice to said job's boss in part because of travel issues; moving; volunteering and working with my aunt at her school for three weeks; and so on it goes.

This is not to say that this year hasn't had it's wonderful moments of pleasure and excitement and wonder! Please don't believe I mean that by any means! In fact, I do believe this year has held some of the most beautiful moments of my life yet. I have loved more deeply, trusted God more fully, learned bigger lessons, more firmly cemented dear friendships, grown closer to my parents and sister and two or three friends, learned more about my marvelous Papa God, and shared some of the best tea ;) with some of the most interesting people yet!

And I do thank God for both ends of this year, for both the pretty and unattractive parts. I hope I have shown my strength, and that my strength is good because of Him who IS MY STRENGTH, and that He will continue strengthening me.