~ THE TEA CUP ~

 A couple vacationing in Europe went strolling down a little street and saw a quaint little gift shop with a beautiful teacup in the window.  The lady collected teacups and she wanted this one for her collection, so she went inside to buy the teacup, and as the story goes the teacup spoke and said:

“I want you to know that I have not always looked like this.  It took the process of pain to bring me to this point.  You see, there was a time when I was just clay and the Master came and he pounded me and he squeezed me and he kneaded me and I screamed: “STOP THAT!”.  But he just smiled and said, “Not yet”.

Then he took me and put me on the shelf and I went round and round and round and round … and while I was spinning and getting dizzier and dizzier, I screamed again and I said, “Please get me off this thing… please get me off!!!”  And the Master was looking at me and he was smiling, as he said, “Not yet”.

Then he took me and walked toward the oven and shut the door and turned up the heat and I could see him through the window of the oven and it was getting hotter and hotter and I thought, “He’s going to burn me to death!”.

And I started pounding on the inside of the oven and I said, “Master, let me out, let me out, let me out!”, and I could see that he was smiling, as he said “Not yet”.  Then he opened the door and I was fresh and free and he took me out of the oven and he put me on the table and then he got some paint and a paintbrush.

He started dabbing me and making swirls all over me and I started to gag and I said: “Master, stop it… stop it… stop it please… you’re making me gag”.  He just smiled as he said “not yet”.

Then very gently he picked me up again and he started walking toward the oven and I said, “Master, NO!!  Not again, pleeeease!!”.  He opened the oven door and he slipped me inside and he shut the door and this time he turned the heat up twice as hot as before and I thought, “He’s going to kill me!!”, and I looked through the window of the oven and I started to pound on it, saying, “Master … Master, please let me out … please let me out … let me out!”.

I could see that he was smiling but I also noticed a tear trickle down his cheek as I watched him mouth the words, “Not yet!”

Just as I thought I was about to die, the door opened and he reached in ever so gently and took me out, fresh and free and he went and placed me on a high shelf and he said: “There, I have created what I intended.  Would you like to see yourself?”  I said, “Yes”.  He handed me a mirror and I looked and I looked again and I said, “That’s not me, I’m just a lump of clay”.

He said, “Yes, that IS you, but it took the process of pain to bring you to this place.  You see, had I not worked you when you were clay, then you would have dried up.

If I had not subjected you to the stress of the wheel you would have crumbled.  If I had not put you into the heat of the oven you would have cracked.  If I had not painted you, there would be no color in your life.  But, it was the second oven that gave you the strength to endure.  Now you are everything I intended you to be – from the beginning.”  And I, the teacup, heard myself saying something I never thought I would hear myself saying, “Master, forgive me, I did not trust you.  I thought you were going to harm me, I did not know you had a glorious future and a hope for me.  I was too shortsighted, but I want to thank you.

I want to thank you for the suffering.  I want to thank you for the process of pain.  Here I am! I give you myself – fill me; pour from me, use me as you see fit.  I really want to be a vessel that brings you glory within my life.”

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
~ Hebrews 13:15 ~

“….my cup runneth over.” 
Psalm 23:5

 I love tea, and I love to collect teacups …
So, since the story today is about a ‘tea cup’,
I thought I’d share some photos of my collection with you.
These are 2 of the 11 Chintz teacups that I have been blessed with
over the years from my two special guys!  Sometimes they are hard to find,
but mostly the ones they come across are at antique shops or even some
of the antiques shows that we set up at.  I love having tea in them!
I have some friends whose young girls put on tea parties,
complete with beautiful tea cups, different types of tea, and crumpets! 
We had some wonderful times together!
But, not wanting to be left out, and being a boy,
Ian would always want a ‘camping party’ complete
with ‘tin cups’ and ‘saucers’ …. the blue speckled ones!!
We’d have hot cocoa and marshmallows with
cinnamon-butter pumpkin bread on the side!!

Tomorrow afternoon, we do have a show starting,
and I’m going to be fairly busy getting ready to go in the morning. 
It will be a long day, and I hope to check in here tomorrow night when I do get home, 
all depending on how tuckered out I am!
Saturday is also a long day beginning with the show opening at 8:00am, and ending at 6:00pm..
and I’ll be able to check in again then!  The prison ministry is also Saturday night for Lewis, at 7:00pm,
so he’ll be getting home much later than I will!  But he is always blessed and God is moving on hearts there!
  Sunday…is a shorter day, and the time to pack up, and move out! 
You know, we have gotten older since we started this way back in 2000 … but
I’m thankful that I’ve gotten through most of this week doing those exercises! 
I’m hoping I can squeeze in another 45 minutes before this day ends! 
It really does make a difference in how a body feels! 

I’ve also been able to speak with Ian a few times this week!   
He’s been busy filming testimonials for the church,
and he’s even gotten to film a prominent chef in the Monterey Bay area.
Still don’t know all of the details on that … but I’m sure he got a few cooking tips from him!
And maybe a great gourmet meal!!  We had talked about him going to the Culinary Arts Academy,
but he’s following a different path … and who knows, maybe working on this project, he may want to
give that a try someday!  I don’t know where the Lord may be taking him, I just
pray that he stays on the path, and continues walking in His will for his life! 
That’s the most we can hope and pray for, where our children are concerned! 
Well, you all have a Thankful Thursday, and a Faith-filled Friday, 
… have a cup of tea, and I’ll be checking in with you Saturday evening! 

 Hugs,
~ Deborah <><