Day 86 – Thankful for lessons from tea and that God gives strength to try again

I like to drink tea. Over the years I’ve had several favorites. My loved ones know how much I love tea and sometimes will gift me with specialty varieties or with several boxes of new varieties that they think I might like. At present, I have about 15 different types of tea in my cabinet, even though I usually only drink 5 of them on a daily basis.

Sometimes I put the tea bags in my cup while I’m waiting for the water to boil. Then, when the water boils, I somehow get distracted and don’t pour the water.

Did you ever notice how tea bags don’t make tea unless they are soaked in water?

And, even though you can infuse tea in room temperature water, that takes quite a while! The tea is made so much faster when the water is piping hot!

This got me thinking about how we often don’t act on our good intentions in other areas of our lives, as well.

The intentions sit there in the cup, so to speak, and no hot water gets poured on them, and the tea does not get made.

• No effort to exercise deprives us of the “tea” of strength, energy, vitality, and even strong bones and healthy organs.
• No effort to eat healthy food deprives us of the vitamins and minerals that every cell in our bodies need to carry out their functions.
• No effort to give to that charity or help the needy around us deprive us of treasures that only God knows that He wanted to bestow on us.
• No effort to read God’s word and obey it deprives us of that super-close relationship with God and leaves us open to believing lies instead.

Perhaps some of you have made New Year’s resolutions and already given up because you failed. Let me encourage you to get up, brush yourself off, and try again.

Put on the hot water and go make the tea!

“Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:12b,13 NLT

Today, I’m thankful for these lessons from tea! I’m thankful that God gives me the desire and the strength to get up and try again!

How about you? What are some other intentions that might need some effort exerted to make something good happen? Do you need to get up and try again on some good intention you’ve gotten distracted from?