How is Marriage like a Cup of Tea?

Valentine's Day is a popular time for proposals and weddings, so I thought this might be a good tme to revisit how marriage is like a cup of tea.

The unique leaves, spices and blossoms combined in our favorite tea create an experience far greater than the sum of its ingredients. When God brings together a husband and wife, He unites their special blend of gifts, talents, and personality traits to create one flesh from two individuals – a single being with far greater potential than each has separately (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:8).

The one required ingredient for tea is water. No marriage can thrive without the “rivers of living water” (John 7:38) flowing from Jesus Christ as the Head of the couple, portraying the self-sacrificing love husbands should have for their wives (Ephesians 5:25). That Living Water forever quenches their thirst and gives them everlasting life, so that not even death can separate them (John 4: 14).

Tea refreshes, revives, comforts, warms and relaxes us all at the same time, just as husband and wife do for one another. This is possible only through the fire of the Holy Spirit, or Comforter (John 14:16), Who lovingly nurtures all who have trusted in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as the only Way to Heaven (1 Corinthians. 15:1-4; John 14:6). 

A hearty cup of hot tea can give us our second wind when our spirits sag, just as husband and wife rejuvenate one another. God Himself has promised to revive our spirit and our heart (Psalm 85:6; 138:7) when we turn to Him asking forgiveness (Psalm 51:10), with the humility (Isaiah 57:15) of knowing that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). But with Him, all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26). 

God gives the couple strength (Isaiah 40:31), patience (James 1:2-8), peace (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Corinthians 13:11) and joy (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 27:6; 32:11; 35:9) when they seek Him daily (Psalm 61:8; 68:19), and not just in times of trouble. Those of us who enjoy tea normally do so daily, and so it should be with seeking God’s comfort. 

Tea needs just the right amount of heat and steeping to brew to perfection. So husbands and wives shouldn’t be surprised when God allows them to get into hot water! We don’t always understand why God allows trouble into our life, but we can trust Him to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). 

Tough times strengthen our faith in Him, our dependence on Him and our closeness to one another (James 1). Suffering makes husband and wife resemble Christ more closely (Philippians 3:10), and gives them compassion, wisdom and experience to help one another and others going through similar trials (Galatians 6:2; James 3:17). 

Offering another person a cup of tea (or even water; Mark 9:41) is a loving gesture of kindness and hospitality, evoking images of a grandmother inviting her grandchild to snuggle under a warm blanket in her rocking chair while sipping tea, or a family allowing a stranger to come in out of the storm and warm himself by the fire as a cup of hot tea takes the chill off his bones. 

God comforts us in our sorrow and trials by showing us His tender mercies (Lamentations 3:22), so that we can comfort others who are suffering (2 Corinthians.1:3). May our love for our spouse always exemplify kindness, patience, self-sacrifice, joy, truth and hope (1 Corinthians 13). Once the tea has brewed, the process is irreversible. Unique blessings from husband and wife mingle together forever in this mystery that portrays the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:32). So what God has put together, let no man put asunder! (Matthew 19:4-6)

Praying for all married couples to grow closer daily to one another and to Him, fulfilling the amazing plan He has for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11), and for renewed joy in and commitment to one another and to Him! 

© 2016 Laurie Collett
Reposted from the archives

How is Marriage like a Cup of Tea?

To my son Brendan and daughter-in-love Lindsay, on their wedding day

The unique leaves, spices and blossoms combined in our favorite tea create an experience far greater than the sum of its ingredients. When God brings together a husband and wife, He unites their special blend of gifts, talents, and personality traits to create one flesh from two individuals – a single being with far greater potential than each has separately (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:8).

The one required ingredient for tea is water. No marriage can thrive without the “rivers of living water” (John 7:38) flowing from Jesus Christ as the Head of the couple, portraying the self-sacrificing love husbands should have for their wives (Ephesians 5:25). That Living Water forever quenches their thirst and gives them everlasting life, so that not even death can separate them (John 4: 14).

Tea refreshes, revives, comforts, warms and relaxes us all at the same time, just as husband and wife do for one another. This is possible only through the fire of the Holy Spirit, or Comforter (John 14:16), Who lovingly nurtures all who have trusted in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as the only Way to Heaven (1 Corinthians. 15:1-4; John 14:6).

A hearty cup of hot tea can give us our second wind when our spirits sag, just as husband and wife rejuvenate one another. God Himself has promised to revive our spirit and our heart (Psalm 85:6; 138:7) when we turn to Him asking forgiveness (Psalm 51:10), with the humility (Isaiah 57:15) of knowing that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). But with Him, all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26).

God gives the couple strength (Isaiah 40:31), patience (James 1:2-8), peace (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Corinthians 13:11) and joy (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 27:6; 32:11; 35:9) when they seek Him daily (Psalm 61:8; 68:19), and not just in times of trouble. Those of us who enjoy tea normally do so daily, and so it should be with seeking God’s comfort.

Tea needs just the right amount of heat and steeping to brew to perfection. So husbands and wives shouldn’t be surprised when God allows them to get into hot water! We don’t always understand why God allows trouble into our life, but we can trust Him to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Tough times strengthen our faith in Him, our dependence on Him and our closeness to one another (James 1). Suffering makes husband and wife resemble Christ more closely (Philippians 3:10), and gives them compassion, wisdom and experience to help one another and others going through similar trials (Galatians 6:2; James 3:17).

Offering another person a cup of tea (or even water; Mark 9:41) is a loving gesture of kindness and hospitality, evoking images of a grandmother inviting her grandchild to snuggle under a warm blanket in her rocking chair while sipping tea, or a family allowing a stranger to come in out of the storm and warm himself by the fire as a cup of hot tea takes the chill off his bones.

God comforts us in our sorrow and trials by showing us His tender mercies (Lamentations 3:22), so that we can comfort others who are suffering (2 Corinthians.1:3). Brendan and Lindsay are compassionate, loving people – may they continue to treat one another with the same tenderness, understanding and generosity they show to others. May their love always exemplify kindness, patience, self-sacrifice, joy, truth and hope (1 Corinthians 13).

Once the tea has brewed, the process is irreversible. Unique blessings from husband and wife mingle together forever in this mystery that portrays the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:32). So what God has put together, let no man put asunder! (Matthew 19:4-6)

Praying for Brendan and Lindsay daily to grow closer to one another and to Him, fulfilling the amazing plan He has for their lives! (Jeremiah 29:11) And praying for all married couples, for renewed joy in and commitment to one another and to Him! 

© 2016 Laurie Collett

The Waltz: Triplets of Timing

Photo by Sigismund von Dobschutz 2009

To me, the waltz has always been the most romantic dance. And yet the structure of its music lends itself to interpretations ranging from soothing lullabies (Brahms’ Lullaby; Away in A Manger; Silent Night) to inspirational, stirring songs of the faith (Amazing Grace; When I Survey the Wondrous Cross; Faith of Our Fathers), to impressionistic symphonies that evoke the gamut of emotions from longing, to regret, to surging passion (Ravel’s La Valse).

When the waltz was first introduced in Europe, the dance was considered scandalous because the couple was face to face and in three points of contact: man’s left hand to ladies’ right hand; man’s right side to ladies’ right side; and man’s right hand to ladies’ left shoulder blade. Yet it has evolved to an expression of courtship, love and unity, the closed curve of the arms and the contact points allowing the man to lead and the lady to follow, dancing as one as she submits to His will and direction (Ephesians 5:22-25). Is that not a lovely portrayal of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church? (Revelation 19:7-8)

The rhythm of the waltz is itself based on a triplet, written in three quarter time, with the quarter note having a full beat for each of the three beats of the measure, counted as 1-2-3. (The Viennese Waltz is a faster version in 6/8 time, with six beats per measure and the eighth note having one beat, counted as 1-2-3-4-5-6, or two triplets).

As we have seen in many posts, the number three is of special significance in Scripture, representing the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 3:21-22). His trifold signature watermarks all of His creation. So I am not surprised that the waltz rhythm, based on triplets of timing, resonates so deeply in our being.

What do the three beats of the waltz represent? Each measure seems complete and perfect to me because each of the three beats signifies a beginning, middle, and end. We could think of that as past, present and future, the three fundamental divisions of time. It reminds me of the Trinity (Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 3:21-22), complete and perfect, with Jesus Christ as the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). He alone is the Alpha, or beginning; the Omega, or end; and All that is in between. He is the Lamb Who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13).

When beginners first learn to play or dance the waltz, they tend to emphasize the first beat, which is technically correct and helps preserve the rhythmic structure. We may hear bands or organs playing the waltz as “OOM-pah-pah,” with a dramatic accent on the first beat. But a more elegant interpretation is to swell from the first beat to accent the second, which gives the characteristic lilt to the music. For the dancer, the rise in the legs begins with the second beat and culminates in the third, creating the rise and fall that give the waltz its grace and movement.

We were blessed to be featured dancers performing a solo Viennese waltz during a week of performances with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. The guest conductor, Erich Kunzel, explained how proud he was of this orchestra for their brilliant interpretation of the Viennese rhythm, swelling into the second and fourth beats of the six beat measures to portray the rise and fall.

The preferred waltz expression reminds me of our Christian walk. Are we heavy-handed with the first beat, representing our past, or do we rise into the second beat, meaning our present, to culminate in the joy of the third beat that is our eternal future?  Satan, the accuser of the brethren, loves to remind us of our shameful past (Revelation 12:10). Not only were we sinners, but we reveled in our sin, and we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10), friends of the world (James 4:4), and children of the devil (1 John 3:10).

If we dwell in our past, we negate the finished work of Christ on the cross, Who through His shed blood paid for all our sins, past, present and future (Romans 3:25). When we place our faith in His death, burial and resurrection as the only Way to Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 14:6), He transforms us into fellow laborers with Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9), joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17), and children of God (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:10).

Once we are saved, we should live in the now, enjoying the abundant life (John 10:10) given us by God our Father (1 Timothy 6:17), thanking God the Son for His sacrifice (Hebrews 10:8-10) that made us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15), and yielding to the Holy Spirit Who now indwells us (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30), guiding, comforting and shaping us (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7). As the saying goes, “Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”

That being said, it is good to reflect from time to time on what we were before we were born again (John 3:3,7; 1 Peter 1:23), and to remember and thank God for His many blessings (1 Samuel 7:12) that have worked all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). And it is also important to anticipate our glorious future – the eternal life (John 3:16) we will have with Christ when we leave this earthly body through death or the Rapture. Our past, present and future shape the melody of our life, composing a new song (Psalm 33:3; 144:9; Isaiah 42:10) to sing His praise (more on that next week)!

Yet it is that second beat of the waltz we call life – our present, lived out from measure to measure, from moment to moment, where we should focus our energy for maximal impact. We can’t change the past, and we can’t predict our own future to know when our earthly time will expire. In the meantime, the fields are white for a great harvest (Luke 10:2; John 4:35), the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37), and the night is coming when we can no longer work to further God’s Kingdom (John 9:4).

May we live each moment to the fullest, accenting that second beat of the present, thanking God for all things, praying without ceasing, and serving Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). May we offer our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), let His light shine through us (Matthew 5:16), and glorify Him in all that we do (Colossians 3:17,23). Dance on, child of God, dance on!   

© 2014 Laurie Collett