Tea and Sympathy
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Year ago, Mayra and I befriended a novice teacher who sat with us each day in the teacher’s workroom during 3rd period planning. His quick wit served him well in the trenches with teenagers at first.
Unfortunately, his dry humor was a rather unsuccessful disciplinary tool for the long haul. Managing the unruly started to take a toll on him as the year wore on. We offered advice and prayers in hopes of rallying his spirits.
Our disheartened friend finally crashed when he ended up face to face with a very disgruntled parent during an after-school conference. He gave us the “play by play” of how the meeting had transpired the following morning.
The brutal details of the exchange made my stomach turn.
I honestly don’t remember much of what he said, but one tidbit from his story has remained firmly implanted in my memory. When the meeting was over, he debriefed with an administrator who had passively chaired the conference.
“What advice did he offer?” I remember asking.
“He didn’t say much,” my weary friend responded. “He basically got up, closed his briefcase, and suggested that a cup of tea might make me feel better. And, then he left for the weekend.”
We laughed in disbelief.
The last few weeks of the school year, we put on our Mother Hen hats and tried to protect our wounded baby teacher. Daily, we tried to help him to spread his wings and fly.
Sadly, our friend found teaching was not his cup of tea. He decided to move back home at the end of year, and his teaching career came to a close. On the last day of school, he presented us each with a tea cup card to thank us for supporting him through a difficult season.
I think about him often.
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Recently, I’ve read the brutal details of sad exchanges on Social Media. My heart grows weary of the unkindness. How am I to respond? I could sit back and do nothing — that would be the easy way out. My selfish heart wants to close up my heart, turn off the screen, and offer Pharisaical platitudes as I walk away.
I want to do nothing. It’s not my problem, really. Right?
But then I open up my Bible and read the words of the Apostle Paul. He is sitting in prison, and his heart is reaching out to two Philippian sisters in Christ who cannot seem to get along. He speaks wisdom to them: “…Agree in the Lord,” he exhorts. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near” (Phil 4:2, 4-5, HCSB).
The Lord is near, so we are called to be
gracious
gentle
reasonable
unselfish
considerate
forebearing
yielding
peaceable
equitable
patient
humble
meek
kind
Offer warmth and revive the soul of your fellow man.
Be someone’s cup of tea today.
Something to think about…
I’m sharing “Tea and Sympathy” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.
Thought-Provoking Thursday Spotlight: Nancy Backues
When a cancer diagnosis rocked her faith to the core, Nancy Backues found herself fighting an even greater battle than her illness. She was also fighting for her faith.
In Unshakable: Finding Faith to Weather the Storm, Nancy shares openly about her struggle with fear and doubt and addresses the tough questions many of us ask in the midst of difficult circumstances. Questions like
Is God really good?
Does God really love me?
Is God big enough for my situation?
Is God even aware of what I’m going through?
How can any good come from my situation?
As Nancy’s story unfolds, she wrestles with these difficult questions, answers them with overwhelming evidence of God’s love and faithfulness, and takes readers on a journey to find faith that is unshakable.
Want to read more of Nancy’s story? Head on over to Amazon to purchase Unshakable: Finding Faith to Weather the Storm.
Nancy Backues is an author, speaker, wife, mother, and two-time cancer overcomer. She lives in Missouri where she relies on God’s grace and good coffee to live out authentic faith in the midst of a mostly messy life. Connect with her at www.NancyBackues.com.
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