In traveling I became a connoisseur of tea. My souvenirs filled plastic bags of tagged tealeaves or bagged tea samples from every nation we stepped foot in. Now, as I find the beauty in the day-to-day of being home, I also have the simple pleasure of placing a single tea bag into my Bulgarian Milka mug with a teaspoon of honey and slipping into the nations that have captured my heart.
From a sip of Macha I return to the tatami matt floors of the home of friends from Church as we learned the depths of tea culture in Japan, a sip of Earl Grey and I am in the 10th century storage unit of an underground fortress of Bulgaria. From a sip of milk tea I return to the street markets of China where I laughed with the Chinese man making my Tofu over broken Chinglish and an invite to The Kingdom. From the taste of a chilled red tea I return to the wooden floor of a home in Mae Sot, Thailand where Burmese children surround me passing chicken bones in all directions. In a cup of Chai, I return to the Naan restaurant in Malaysia where simple questions led to deep conversations, and smells of tandoori filled the air as street dogs looked on in hopes of a simple offering. A single sip of Rooibos brings me to a cement room lit by a single bulb and heated by the stovetop lit for dinner, as laughter erupts over non-syndical riddles. Herbal teas take me back to our mornings in Ukraine with our joyful Ukrainian family as the smells of fresh pancakes and fruit jams filled the air.
Over the past two months I have discovered many simple blessing that help me recall the journey of this year; from the simple smells of lotion bars to the taste of a soothing cup of tea to the smell in the air at the beginning of a new season. In just moments I can travel anywhere in the world.
Yet, the most significant lesson has been in learning the beauty of what surrounds me. The gift of a glass of Ice-tea with my grandma as the open door brings in the welcomed brisk fall breeze, or the smell of sugar cookies baking in the oven as I sneak a taste of the dough while grandma speaks of a recent lesson in patience from the Lord. The taste of a fresh picked apple from Eckert’s as I stand amongst the trees only feet from my mom reaching for a ripe honey crisp. The tart taste of the wild berries out of season as dad and I watch bikers journey along the river trail. The seasonal sip of a caramel apple spice latte at the local coffee shop over a conversation of ministry life with a friend. The smell of dust that fills the air as the Settlers of Catan box is opened by childhood friends for the first time in 11 months.
While I am beyond blessed by the simplicity at which I can return to the nations that hold my heart through a simple sip of tea; I also have learned the beauty of God’s blessing today, in St. Charles, with family, with friends, and with his beautiful creation surrounding me.
Whether in the rainforest of Asia, the plains of Europe, the mountains of Africa, or a river town in America; I awake with a cup of tea, take a journey outside with my Bible, a pen and a journal with pages awaiting a new epic to be written, and it is in the stillness of those moments that I see the blessings before me.
REFLECTION
In what ways do you pause to notice the beauty of the day before you?
Alumni Racers: What ways have you noticed yourself slipping into another nation as you walk the streets of your hometown?
PRAYER
Finances for G42 in October, and direction for where to begin the ministry in Asia long term.
FINANCES
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G42
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