May 2021

SerendipiTea

Faith, prayer / By teri / May 18, 2021 August 9, 2021 / Prayer, tea

Welcome to Tea Time

Tea Time is a quarterly (February, May, August, and November) reflection on various qualties.

Ser*en*dip*i*tea \ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē\ n. 1. To discover God’s pleasant providence in life, like sipping high-quality Darjeeling for the first time.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21.

Eureka! The fragrance of sunshine, like my grandmother’s apricot tree, filled my nose as I sniffed in the glass canister of loose-leaf tea. That day I lifted the lids of every jar on the sandwich shop’s tea shelf where I worked. I was trying to decide what I should sip on break. When I discovered Darjeeling, I sniffed no more. That was the tea for me.

My Darjeeling discovery, serendipitous as it was, pales compared to the providence of God’s answers to prayer. He not only answers our prayers—but He often does so in ways that exceed our expectations.

I remember the wonder of the answer to prayer early in my walk with Christ. I was between paychecks, and as often happens in life, I reached the end of my money before the end of the month. Desperate for clean clothes to go to work in, I cried out, “Lord, I need some laundry money.” Two steps later, I noticed a quarter on the ground, the exact change I needed to do one load. Serendipity! A delightful, unexpected treasure! I burst into praise as I picked up the gift from my newfound Father. He really does care for me; I thought as I walked home.

Glimpses of God’s serendipitous nature fill the earth. The flash of a cardinal’s wings, finding an unbroken sand-dollar on the beach, the fragrance of lilacs, all the beautiful wonders that surprise and delight us prove His glorious grace to humanity. The earth declares His extravagance.

How has He inspired awe and wonder in you? When has He stepped into your life with serendipity? How can we provide serendipity to others, perhaps sending a handwritten note or an unexpected gift that adds delight to an ordinary day?

Father, You are the personification of serendipity! You never cease to surprise us with the riches of Your glory. Thank You for being You! Please, open our eyes in wonder to the Wonder that You are. Amen`

A Mama’s Empty Arms: When Mother’s Day Hurts

Family Life, Motherhood / By teri / May 4, 2021 July 29, 2021 / death of a child, miscarriage, Mother's Day, stillbirth

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I pleaded as I sat on my toilet, “Please, please, God, let me keep this one. I can’t bear to lose this baby too!” (Nine months before, my first child was stillborn).

His Spirit whispered, “My grace is sufficient.”

In rebellion, I yelled, “I don’t want your grace! I want a baby!”

Thirty years later, I watched in horror as my daughter came close to bleeding to death during a miscarriage. I knew her pain but compounding that was the threat of losing yet another child of my own.

On Mother’s Day, my heart goes out to all the moms who bear the weight of empty arms. For women who long for a child—no burden compares to this heaviness. I think of my young friend who wears a bracelet of birthstone charms signifying the miscarriages of her upheld babies. I weep with a sister in Christ who buried her ten-year–old after losing the fight with a long illness. Two older friends come to mind as they grieve for their sons, lost to suicide. Finally, I consider so many women who desire children but are unable to conceive. Yes, you too belong to the Mamas with Empty Arms Club.

It’s not a group we joined on purpose. Yet, for reasons unknown to us, God allows us admission. And despite the horrible circumstances, we find ourselves in good company. Hannah, an ancient Hebrew woman, felt this weight. “the Lord had closed her womb.” 1 Samuel 1:5. Rachel screamed in desperation to her husband, “Give me children, or else I die!”

Jacob responded, ^“Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Genesis 30:1-2. The Bible confronts us with the harsh reality that God opens and closes our wombs. Scripture defines Him as the Lord of life. During her grief, a woman can wonder, ”Does God even care?”

He does. “He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” If a deep maternal instinct drives you, God will provide some for you to love and nurture. If you grieve the loss of a child, your heavenly Father knows your pain. He watched His son die too.

Hannah and many other women in Scripture remind us, even in our bareness, God loves us. He counts us worthy of His care and companionship. Despite my screams at His gentle reminder—when I rejected His grace—God never abandoned me. He tenderly led me back to His presence, to worship.

We need to remember Hannah’s example of dealing with her empty arms. She threw herself boldly at God’s mercy seat to find help in her time of need. Unfortunately, others misunderstood her—but not God. I encourage you to read her story in 1Samuel, chapter one.

Hannah reminds us our children belong to the Lord, not us. Therefore, we must offer up our empty arms for His glory and trust Him to be our comforter. And we must remember our tears so that we can weep with those who mourn, as I grieve with you today (2 Corinthians 1:4; Romans 12:15b). May the Lord hold you close when Mother’s Day hurts.