Socially, everyone shares space, time, and oxygen daily among people with whom they have no interest or compunction to be involved.  Present but unseen, they may fall into categories of old, young, fat, thin, smart, slow, liberal, conservative, believer, non-believer, Republican, Democrat, American or “other”.  “Dismissed” or “canceled” are current expressions used broadly among Generation Z and all too often among those of us unwilling to see everyone in our midst as people made in the image of God.

      Rick and I have recently completed an intensive week of study, tours, and reflections in England and Scotland among ten talented scholars of history and

theology.  We enthusiastically shared space, time, air, room, and board with them.

      Coasting on their credentials, I touched a first edition of the Guttenberg Bible. I sat at the desk of C.S. Lewis, and I stood in the space where Archbishop Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer.  We were convinced by the abundance of facts and artifacts that England’s courageous church leaders of the 17^th and 18^th centuries sparked, and then set aflame, the Reformation of the Church and the translation of the Bible into English for commoners. The Puritans brought the Bible to America and Christian education in America took root.

      Four centuries since, many in our country have canceled the veracity and value of the Bible, and many more are woefully biblically illiterate.

      Our fellow travelers, on the trip through England and Scotland, were united in mission to explore solutions to evangelize those in Generation Z who are unaware of God’s plan of redemption, His love for His creation, and His mercy and kindness to all who breathe our air and live in our spaces.

      While our focus is different, I was thankful for opportunities to share with the group what is underway in Orange Mound at My Cup of Tea.

       None of the ladies at The House have heard of the Guttenberg Bible or imagined the historical record of men and women who were martyred for bringing the Bible to the people. They and we are the beneficiaries of the heroes of our faith.

“For whoever will confess Jesus is Lord and believe in her heart God raised Him from the dead, she shall be saved”.  Romans 10:9-11. Unlocking this truth was the catalyst that brought the Bible within reach four centuries ago and is equally impactful today.

      I often reflect on our mission at the House:

…to walk with women beyond the boundaries of poverty and neglect and assist them in building stable lives. We transform lives by providing meaningful employment packaging and selling tea, nurturing cross-cultural, trusting relationships, fostering respect and understanding, and prioritizing and demonstrating authentic community with the women we serve and our neighbors in Orange Mound.

      Economic headway is static and difficult to measure optimistically. Current inflation and government subsidy deflation has discouraged our ladies’ climb out of poverty and amended their hopes and filed away their dreams for a time.

      Growing in faith, however, we are on track.  Four of our women have joined the “whoevers”, and all are grasping biblical insight and have expressed genuine seeking hearts to embrace the Lord’s plan and purpose for themselves.

      Only a few of our employees have a high school degree, and their public-school education legally bypassed prayer in the classrooms and courses on Christianity. Nevertheless, there is a fresh and genuine thirst for Truth without knowledge of the foundational integrity of our Christian faith.

       I reminded my fellow travelers through England and Scotland that these ladies are no less valuable in the eyes of Jesus than authors, scholars, martyrs, or kings. The Bible has over 400 references to caring for the poor in the cities, on the sidewalks, and the slums. The Lord is no respecter of rank or PhD’s. Every space in time is fertile for the spread of the Gospel.

      Through our individual friendships and opportunities to serve in Orange Mound, we have received favor at My Cup of Tea. We are serving “manna” to all levels of spiritual appetites.   Matching the need for safety, security, and significance with the guidance of the loving Holy Spirit is fulfilling our mission of 12 years and fortifying our purpose for the future.

      My new friends, with whom I shared the visit to England, will participate in the ignition of a much-needed revival of faith in North America. They are dedicated and anointed to further the Kingdom of God. Much like the First Century Church, their prayers, networks and resources will be powerful in the hands of the Lord.

      But our prayers are equally powerful, and we honor the same God who answers them.  As one of my new friends commented as we were departing, “We are dedicated globally for the rebirth of the lost among influencers of the 21^st Century, and your mission field is one block in Orange Mound”.  

This is our space, our time, and our empowering Spirit-filled oxygen for enlightenment. Our ladies of Orange Mound are already changing the neighborhood for good by sharing the Gospel.

I have had and continue to have an extraordinary opportunity to extend a bounty to others in the form of honest employment, whereby they might also bless and provide for those who depend on them. Serving those I now lead and supervise has diminished the timetable for a path from rags to riches.  Stability and mobility out of poverty for a single woman in Orange Mound is beyond complicated.   

Their unfamiliar and daunting challenges interrupt my peace of mind but are common to all of them. Unreliable transportation is a given; many of their cars are on life support. Diabetes is tragically familiar. Food security for many depends on the generosity of others who bring lunch and treats daily.

Each lady comes to The House with personal heartaches that must be aired and shared.  Many of their kids are repeating the dreaded cycles of drug addiction, armed robbery, promiscuity, truancy, and rebellion. Bills with exorbitant late fees and utility cut-off notices find their addresses easily, however repairs on their rentals don’t.

Wise choices, and the resources to make wise choices, are a daily need and my constant prayer.  I long to be patient, gracious, and slow to anger, recognizing always God’s image is stamped on us, and His presence is a promise. He supplies provisions for us fellow pilgrims and fellow beggars, but they often seem to add up to only a ration. Divine reciprocity is not based on hard work, prayer, or kindness.

Several of the most ambitious ladies have side hustles to help their disrupted income flow. Each has more talent than she realizes. I am researching and overflowing with ideas to build out their enterprises, but what most need are a vision, encouragement, and a huge push. Seeking their prosperity, I overlook the debris field of crises in which they live.

One, whom we have helped establish a modest catering business, needs to quickly earn $5,000 from her efforts.  Her network is thinner than her know how. If she doesn’t net $5,000, her daughter remains in jail. She has seven more children of her own and is caring for another daughter’s special needs son.

One of our ladies has a knack for repurposing furniture but has never factored-in her labor costs into her price and virtually charges only for her supplies. She is losing business for lack of marketing. Her enthusiasm has deflated as she cares for her cousin who is special needs.

One has lost momentum and sales in her sewing career due to family pressures and caring for a beloved brother who has moved into her limited working space.

Since I cannot launch their businesses without their energy and aspirations, I am called to establish a tone and a culture of kindness and grace. The House has always been, and must remain, a safe place of beauty and joy for those with dreams that default to the tyranny of the urgent.

Simply said, intangible sensory experiences of compassion and hope permeate every room and corridor and hall of this building like a sweet perfume, and then it partners with the wafting fragrance of imported tea. Laughter is our over-the-counter medication, and reading the New Testament is critical mental therapy.

Those who work here do so with a sense of peace, purpose, and calm assured that they are valued and respected and appreciated.  Our interaction is a steady witness and invitation to respond more fully to the call of the Lord in our lives.

What a rare privilege it is for us all to experience faith in the unseen and to see, often without proof, that our obedience is the measure of our faith.

Last Wednesday morning, the House teemed with an almost chaotic energy. On one side of the retail space, our silver, metallic blue, and purple Christmas tree sparkled in the sunlight piercing the gaps in the wood blinds. But, across the room, pumpkins, scarecrows, and fall leaves adorned the shelves. Debbie, our operations manager, two volunteers, and all the ladies hustled to convert our usually calm and peaceful space into a bustling holiday cornucopia of Christmas gifts and goodies.

In the midst of all this, we held a workshop.

Rebecca Arendt, Executive Director of The Iris Collective, Katie Hook, the Operations and Production Manager, and Marcin Arendt, a brilliant violinist, visited the House to lead a Six Word Story workshop. The Iris Collective is performing a concert at Sweet LaLa’s on October 22^nd to highlight the mission and work of Thistle and Bee, Bluff City Toffee, and us. The musical selections for the concert are chosen to represent the organizations, so the workshop was designed to help The Iris Collective better understand who we are.

The concept of the Six Word Story may seem odd. It is derived from a genre known as Flash Fiction. Maybe the most famous one is misattributed to Ernest Hemingway and first appeared in print in 1906. The story read:

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

The idea is that words have power and a poignant, captivating story can be told by choosing the right words.

To accommodate the abundance of Christmas gifts, the table we normally meet around was occupied, so everyone gathered in the kitchen. A few sat, but most stood, and none of us expected what came next.

Each one was given a card and asked to tell their story in six words. The words could be drafted as a sentence, a phrase, or each could stand apart from the others. Once the stories were written, the author would read her story, and Marcin would retell the story through his violin.

The first story read:

“Again, she failed. She tried again.”

The wise woman who wrote those words explained to the group,

“In spite of your life seeming to be a series of failures, you have to try again…I don’t have the option of just laying down and dying. I’ve got to try again regardless of how I feel.”

Marcin paused for a moment, readied his instrument, and played a series of notes that captured the near resignation of failing over and over, but then it arced with sounds and rhythms of persistence and determination. On cue, a chorus of nodding heads agreed that his interpretation was on point.

Another storyteller wrote:

“Jesus. Poverty. Self-sufficient. Bringing community back.”

The words alone evoked “ahs,” “mmhms,” and “yeses.” Then Marcin played and the tears welled-up in our eyes.

For the next few minutes, the ladies shared their stories with common themes of trusting God, brokenness to redemption, sisterhood, love, peace, and happiness. Marcin captured every sentiment beautifully. The ladies embraced throughout, and we all cried some more.

We’ve written many times about the chaos that often exists in the lives of the women we serve outside of the tranquility and compassion experienced at the House. Murder, addiction, fear, and hopelessness are familiar to every woman that comes to My Cup of Tea.

Metaphorically, the swirl that greeted us at the House that morning, like the “swirl” in the lives of the My Cup of Tea women, consumed our senses and distracted us from our true purpose. But in those few moments spent reflecting on our journeys and listening to the stories of changed lives, each of us was reminded of our blessings and the One who sustains us all.  

And that is music to our ears.

“The Lord will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the Lord.” – Isaiah 38:20