Our church was growing numerically and spiritually. I began to feel a lack of connection, however, between the older women who had been pillars of our congregation for decades and those new to our congregation. Talking together at assembly times and even women’s classes and our annual retreat did not provide the closeness I desired. I sought another way to enhance camaraderie among our sisters.
So began my Tea Basket Ministry. I prepared a lovely little basket with a teapot, a variety of tea bags, a beautiful teacup, two delicious cookies, and a small journal. I added a short typed letter that read:
Dearest friend,
I’m sure you are surprised to receive this, but let me explain.
This week I want you to be aware of my love for you. With this teapot, I want you to take time to sit and think about your blessings or trials. Relax as you sip your tea and eat the cookies. Then write as much or as little as you wish in this traveling journal. Be sure to record the date and your name.
You are a special person. I want to get to know you better and for us to know other Christian sisters. This tea basket is a start. This week I will be praying that you will have the strength and wisdom you need. I’m enclosing my prayer for you. If you have a special prayer request, let me know.
Please return the basket to the lobby kiosk next Sunday and I will refill it with more tea and cookies and pass it on to someone else. I hope you enjoy tea time this week!
A Positive Response
I enclosed a brief, hand-written prayer for that person. The project worked best when it was returned to me each week. During one period of time when I left it up to each woman to refill it and pass it on, the basket would disappear for weeks as the refilling and returning were forgotten. Managing it myself gave me a better sense of who was receiving it, preventing the basket from going from friend to friend within a small circle.
Soon some who enjoyed the basket started adding to the contents—elegant flowered paper napkins, a special spoon, a silk bookmark for the journal.
I began the journal with my own thoughts, then gave it to an older woman who was always lively and upbeat. I had no idea how open she would be about herself. She wrote,
I have an infected finger which kept me awake last night. I believe it was from picking for my parents a rose that had a nasty thorn in it. It shows me there is such beauty in God’s wonderful creation, but also great danger and peril in life. The contrast of good and evil—I see my struggle daily to fight off Satan as the thorn.
Further on she wrote,
At times depression and fear overtake me with the continuing pain, but a wonderful thing happens. When I’m so down, an amazing calm will come over me. I know this must be my sisters and brothers in Christ praying for me and stilling my fears.
Holding My Hand
A newly divorced mom wrote,
Reading the messages in this journal, I felt that Jesus had taken hold of my hand and was saying, ‘Hey, I told you I would never leave you, that I would not give you more than you could handle.’
Some women wrote prayers. Some shared Scripture that applied to their lives, such as Psalm 16:5, 6: “Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Most were amazingly transparent and perceptive.
Some entries, though lovely, disclosed the author’s refusal to reveal herself, such as,
This basket and its contents—what a simple yet eloquent act of kindness and love. It reminds me of the boy who shared his loaves and fish as Jesus shared his words of hope and promise. The words that have been shared are filled with God’s goodness. I too rejoice in his goodness. My prayer is that we all continue to share that goodness with each other.
Immediately after that entry came,
Parenting has been one of my greatest struggles. I want so much to be a good mother. Being the only one responsible for my children’s spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being seems so overwhelming. I pray for wisdom, strength, and courage. My children are the greatest gift. I love them so much. I want them to want to be strong, faithful Christians. It seems every time I think I’m making progress, things backfire.
The Faith of Our Sisters
Another recipient wrote,
Right now with Bill’s job situation uncertain, I wish I knew what will happen (then again, maybe not!), but it is such a comfort knowing it is under God’s control and he loves us. The verses that keep running through my mind are Matthew 6:25-34 and I Timothy 6:8: ‘But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.’ Any time I re-read the writings of my sisters—some still worshiping with me, some moved away—I am warmed and strengthened by their comments.
Linda is still here, with a strong and faithful husband, but she is fighting cancer for the fourth time. In 1998, she wrote,
If anyone would have told me eight weeks ago what I would be doing tonight, I might have been as doubtful as Abraham’s Sarah. I probably would have laughed! When I finish this journal entry and my tea, I will be having a Bible study for the first time with my best friend and husband, and he suggested it! God really does work in mysterious ways!
Ann has moved to another city, but her words remind me of the excitement of a new Christian:
What a difference a couple of weeks can make! I am pessimistic by nature and tend to worry about everything, but now I have found peace. Studying the Bible with Gene and Kim has made a huge difference in my life. Before, life was so complicated it was overwhelming. Now I am confident I can handle anything with God’s help. I wish I’d known years ago how great life can be with Jesus.
Walking in Another’s Shoes
Portia is still here, and I read from her:
A long time ago I had an English teacher who impressed on me the need to walk in another’s shoes. It’s not always easy, but I have tried over the years. As a black woman and mother, I have had to step in a lot of shoes, but I feel it only made me stronger. I love who I am today, yesterday, and forever, and I know that without God by my side I would have had an even rougher path to follow.
Portia concluded her journal entry with, “The Lord is real!” and I see that in her life as well as in her words.
It’s been 10 years since I started the Tea Basket Ministry. It ran its course in about four years. As sisters we knew each other better and we knew how to pray for each other. And now I look around our congregation and see so many young women who were just girls when we shared our Tea Basket journal. I’d better get busy; it’s time for me to get my basket out and start again. |L
Lanita Bradley Boyd is a freelance writer who lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
