My Cup of Tea...

I have this favorite drink. I can’t sleep without having even just a cup of it. I have developed this passion for tea. The last time I remembered being hooked to it was during my college days. I would drink cups and cups of it thinking I’d get my tummy smaller. But my liking for it died away, because thesis time introduced the wonders of coffee to me. And just this year, before my brother got married, I did come back to the drink I realized I always loved. I am now avoiding coffee. And every night, I & my brother have this habit of drinking tea. His is with honey while I have it plain. When my mom was here, she would also ask me to make her tea with honey. My dad randomly drinks tea within the day…and yes, also with honey.

In Starbucks I always order one tall hot Tazo green tea, with or without honey. When surfing the net or doing my papers at night, I always have a hot tea beside me. We’ve been trying to convince my sister-in-law but no, she’d rather drink C2 tea. In time maybe she will love it too.

I don’t know why but I love tea. It soothes me in a different way and calms me. It gives me a sense of warmth and safety. It’s like I am secure. And I even love the fact that I know the tea will put out the unnecessary toxins out of my body. So I don’t mind having more trips in the toilet to put it out. Because I know it helps. I love the feeling when I hold my hot mug with two hands then sip it and feel refreshed.

The Lord is more than a hot green tea for me. He brings me peace and calmness despite the many storms of my life. I couldn’t sleep without thanking Him, praising Him, or talking to Him. He is the only name in my heart I wouldn’t want to forget. Sometimes I tend to lessen my time with Him when I have other sources of happiness or joy. But I was never happy doing it. I was never satisfied with a life without my deep conversations with the Lord.

The Lord rejuvenates me… day after day, each night after a day in this world, He is the one thing I look for. He is more than a cup of tea. He is the one thing I couldn’t live without. I’d rather miss the tea than not to be able to have the chance of asking Him to refresh my soul. His words and love has always made me survive.

Just last week I feel stressed out. Sleepy, tired and sad. Really sad that I drank 2 cups of coffee in just one day. I was trying to look for something that will jolt me up. That will keep me up. After which, I felt sorry for drinking coffee. I have avoided it for sometime and yet I came back. I was so down I felt like I added more to my worries.

For the past week, I’ve been contemplating on giving up something. I never told anyone. I started to think of the pros and cons. I tried to see if I was the one who has a problem why this certain part of my life isn’t functioning well.

One night, I decided to go back to my cup of tea. And that night, I decided to pour it out to my Lord. I told Him my fears, worries and questions. I wrestled with Him asking repeatedly to give me even just one tiny answer. I asked Him to flush out all the worries and fears that I have. I asked Him to detoxify me of all those that is haunting me just like my cup of tea.

And He did. He gave me a reason… one small reason for me to hold on. And that is enough. That is enough for me to realize that I still belong to Him. That my security is still in the Lord. That my days, and nights, are only for Him. That I have every reason to look forward to great things. That in due time He will answer my specific prayer. That He will hear me cry. Just as long as I surrender to His ways. Not do it my own way.

He is my cup of tea. I will always go back to my cup of hot tea no matter how inviting the aroma of the coffee in school may be or no matter how wonderful cappuccino is, I will always look for my tall hot Tazo green tea. With or without honey.

The Lord is the one and only one my heart will look for. He is the only one my body and soul will ever need. He is the only one that will remain when everything else fails. And I know, He will keep on sustaining me, refreshing me and upholding me.

He is more than my cup of tea… He is my world, and He is my everything.

Then God remembered...

That was a phrase that caught our attention in Bible Intro class. It gave questions and points to ponder while walking through the book of Exodus. Slavery? Plagues? Deliverance? Wilderness? Covenant? Another book showing life is a journey…

After God used dysfunctional families and broken ones in Genesis and now a series of hardship in the wilderness… one thing is always dominant. God never leaves. Might be quiet or silent but always present. He’s working things out for us.

During those times, the Israelites keep on sinning… but the Lord keeps on forgiving. Those were the times when they almost lost hope… where is this promise land? They were impatient… when will providence come? They didn’t want direction… we’ll have it our way! But God keeps on blessing them.

That made me think. I have been impatient, is still impatient, I am not worthy to be called His child, I’ve doubted Him at times… and many times I keep maneuvering things on my own direction. And most of the time, I choose the things I enjoy rather than to listen to His voice.

Some hardships, I believe, are consequences of my mistakes, while some I believe the Lord allows to happen to catch my attention. But through all these… God still remembers. He never allows me to suffer long. On the condition that I get the point, that I get the why and I move on to the what-to-do. He gives me blessings in different ways which is more than I expect of.

When in pain, that’s when I enjoy Him the most. He never forgets to remind me of His love… He does this in amazing ways. Just like what happened in the Old Testament… when “God remembered” means He never forgets. I know He’s always there.

Like the Israelites, after hardship & trials in the wilderness, their next generation enjoys the abundance of the promise land. And I hold on to that. God is always my home… the place in my heart where I always go back to. He is the king of my heart and the lover of my soul. Always in Him do I find refuge. And always in His arms I find the greatest comfort. The most wonderful home that soothes me and takes away the fears, and the pains… if I will fully trust Him, then what harm could put me down? What pain could eat me out? And what trial could fold my knees? Nothing. And no one is greater than Him. I may lose them all but not Him.
God remembers me always… I just have to hold on… God never forgets.

GENESIS....

i just started my own blog... still thinking how i'd go about this.. but thanks to ken for the motivation... hehehe... though i have e-journals i usually keep them to myself and some as reference for my reflection papers in school..

but nevertheless... i promise to update this soon.... soon and very soon...

thanks ken! God bless...