Most will look and see a cup of tea here….but not me…..when I look at this I see my life! I see God! I see my friends and my tribe! And I feel LOVE!

You see, yes….this is indeed a cup of tea. However, there is SO MUCH more going on here….let me share this tea from my view..

This tea is specifically, peppermint black tea from Arbonne. What makes it so special you ask? Well, I will tell you!
So, I was at a little gathering that one friend was holding to support another friend of ours and found this great tea gift for my best friend for her birthday. I also wanted to sow into my friend’s new business. Well, when I got it I kinda really wanted one for myself as well but I had already gotten 2 because I had gotten one to be a gift for a Christmas party I was going to be attending. My friend knew I wanted one too amd sweetly reminded me “it’s ok to get myself a gift too you know??” I laughed and said “I know” knowing I had ZERO intentions of keeping either gift set. Fast forward about a month or so and I ended up not going to the Christmas party I had got the gift for as I was sick during that time…..so it sat here. Was almost given as a gift twice. Then I was sitting in my room today. The air is chilly as the cold front moves in and I am doing homework for ministry school I begin to think about a nice hot cup of tea. I have just about every kind you can imagine because I am a hot tea LOVER 😍 But I was specifically thinking for some reason of a nice mint tea…..and sure enough if it’s the one tea I am out of…..then I remember the tea gift! I unbag it and open it and my husband says “I’m SO proud! GOOD for YOU baby!!” He’d been trying to get me to open it for a week 😆 I smell the box and was so happy to smell all the spice and herbs! So I go make my tea and sit.

As I sit I smile as I think about my friends and my tea. My sweet bestie. I wonder if she’s drinking her tea right now too 😆 My sweet friend who I bought it from! I HAVE to send her a text and a pic…..she’ll be pleased to know I love it and to know I did indeed do something for me…..then it start looking deeper. I look at the mug itself. The mug is nothing fancy or elegant but it too has it’s story.

The mug was a gift I received from our monthly woman’s meeting a few months ago. And when I got it I was going through a rough patch and simce it says “adulting award” I kinda saw it as a little God wink as if to say “it’s ok! You’re doing just fine!” And then I think about my 2 sweet friends who put our awesome woman’s groups together each month an all that they pour into us w/o reservation.

So by this point I am CLEARLY NOT doing my homework 🙃 BUT I AM having a wonderful moment with Papa loving on my friends (His kids….my siblings in Christ) and my whole being (mind body and soul) are being filled with love, appreciation, gratitude, and peace! My mood is lifting (not that it was low to begin with) and I am REALLY appreciating this tea.

I then find myself thinking if I am thinking about them and loving them I should start praying a blessing over each of these ladies that don’t even know much they are blessing me right now! So I do! I begin to pray over each lady and their family individually by name. I pray over their children, their homes, their health, their business, everything The Lord brings to mind I pray over them! I say Amen and sit back while silently I am just in awe over the complexity of a simple cup of tea The Presence of my Daddy God.

So, you see. There’s WAY more than a simple tea here. There are 5 families here that have changed the lives of each other just by being present. There is love that cannot be explained it can only be experienced. There is deep prayer and love poured out over whole entire families. There’s a support system and hope within this cup of tea that cannot be found ANYWHERE else. There are even things in this cup that can’t be shared in this post! Deep personal intimate moments between friends.

You see a mug of tea. I see the moment I tried to quit something last week and 2 of the ladies in this story reminded me why I shouldn’t. I see the woman who knew and prayed over my baby girl in ways no one else ever could because she was my ultrasound tech. I see all the times I fell and was picked up by my best friend and carried on her back spiritually and emotionally until I could fight for myself again. I see the hope and love God had placed in my life and the joys and pains I’ve been blessed to share.

You see a cup of tea…..I see the fingerprints of God.

This one involved 5 specific ladies….but it is dedicated to my entire tribe! The ones who show up and show out. Sometimes when I don’t even want it….but ALWAYS when I need it! I love you guys so much and thank God for you daily!!!

Be blessed beyond measure!

-Virginia J Pierce