Cleveland, Tennessee
The whistling tea kettle brought me back to the moment. The teacup awaited the boiling water and tea bag. In the meantime, my fingers had been working the yarn to crochet a blanket for a friend’s soon-to-be newborn.
Busy fingers left time for mental wanderings. I prayed and planned, wondering about various needs in the family.
Until the whistle blew, and I dropped what I was doing to fix my much-anticipated cup of tea.
As I prepared this warm, comforting drink, the tag on the teabag caught my eye. Like the message in a fortune cookie, this tiny tag had something to say to me.
God’s voice mostly comes to me through Scripture, prayer, other believers, songs, or circumstances. But sometimes He will interject a thought of inspiration from unexpected places.
My teabag was to be that gem.
“Don’t just step out of the box…Dance!”
So often, we get stuck in the box of traditions, comfort zones, or what has always been. We may feel a tug to place a toe in the awaiting unknown waters. But even that seems too scary.
Yet, if we believe that God goes before us and is our rearguard—also holding us and coming alongside—then what have we to fear?
Psalm 27:1 (NKJV) assures us, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
We had presented our “toe” of inquiry to our discipleship pastor a few weeks before. The waters we would tread would be deep as we entered into the lives of others who now enfolded two families into one.
Raising an enfolded family ourselves, we had dived in headfirst, relying on the Lord for strength and wisdom. However, offering to guide others was another story. Yet, we believed God would teach these precious families through the smooth, calm waters or the rough waves of adjustment.
So, when no one signed up, we wondered if we were meant to stay in our comfortable box. No dancing around difficult scenarios after all.
And then, quite unexpectedly, we were introduced to a couple who wanted to do this study but needed some flexibility. And now, we are dancing around schedules, teaching and learning new dance steps in family living as we go along.
God says to walk by faith. Things don’t always line up the way we think they will. But once we step outside the box, be ready to dance, for He is always full of surprises.
More than a cup of tea awaits you! Selah
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After six years in the mountains of Avery County, Ken and Jan Merop are now living in the hilly Tennessee countryside of Cleveland, TN…just outside of Chattanooga. Ken’s photos can be seen at kenmeropphotography.com.
Read more Christian news from Ken and Jan HERE.
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