a cup of tea on reading week

This evening draws to the close my last day of my last reading week and it didn't really go as planned. Paul and I were to spend 4 days in Miami Beach soaking up the sun. Our hearts were broken when we arrived at Niagara Falls Airport to realize they had cancelled the flight due to a snow storm. There was no chance of rescheduling so we had to cancel the whole trip. Needless to say we were pretty disappointed as we had really been looking forward to that time together and away. I was miserable for a few days and threw myself a pretty good pity party before getting on with life.

Sometimes we don't understand the plans God has for us and sometimes life sucks when we don't get what we want but I still believe there's a reason for everything. When one door closes another one always opens. I've used this week to seek direction and reflect on where my life is headed. It's been nice to relax, sleep in and attempt (*key word) to get caught up on my readings. As I was reading the latest novel for my French literature class and sipping on a cup of green tree (delicious new flavour I picked up called "simple pleasure") I was inspired by the words on the page. The author was sharing her insight on the ritual of tea, the drink of the rich and of the poor, as something that brings about a serene harmony. The British are known for their quaint afternoon teas, the Chinese for the green variety that accompanies each meal and the Uruguayans for their yerba mate that is shared with friends. Cultures around the world offer tea to welcome people into their homes. This idea of something so harmonious, yet so diverse really struck me.

It's a wonderful thing to enjoy a cup of tea and observe the sounds around you. As I poured from my beautiful blue teapot tonight I took a moment to reflect on God's plans and hope for the future. Everyone has different views and dreams, but sometimes we can be united in those differences by the unity that is offered by something as simple as tea.