Our mission is to walk with women beyond the boundaries of poverty and neglect and assist them in finding their purpose.

I spoke too soon about our property being free from theft. Yesterday, we arrived at the House to find two of our porch rocking chairs had been pinched.

We have a combination lock and dense, steel cable threaded through the rungs of our chairs, so the gutsy thief or thieves came with intention, cable cutters, and cover of night.  We also have security cameras integrated with the Memphis Police Department through the Connect Memphis platform.  Our employee who maintains our property, and I   reviewed the images recorded by our six cameras. We marked the time of the heist, noted peculiarities in the images, and like modern-day Nancy Drews, identified the culprits.

             Emboldened, undaunted, and resolved to exact justice, we took our evidence to the Tillman Precinct, where we had an appointment with Sargeant Purdle, and filed our report.

Returning to the House, we detailed to all who were waiting for our scoop on the meeting with Sargeant Purdle and assured everyone that the wheels of justice were turning.  We were respected, heard, and assured that a detective had been assigned to our case.

                The two chairs taken were the broken ones we had intended to glue but easily replaced at Walmart – a blessing. We are also grateful that the “dastardly deed” happened at night when no employees or customers we present. There was no damage to The House, no product missing, and no need to file an insurance claim. For all these years, God has shielded our corner from the peril lurking all around us. After all, it was on the sidewalk next door that an innocent woman was gunned down by her partner in a fit of rage. It was just three blocks down at Orange Mound Park where a mass shooting extinguished the lives of two and injured seven. Seemingly more frequently than before, local news is reporting on a shooting or other violent event in the less than two square miles we know as Orange Mound. It’s not “Lady Luck” who has been on our side.

I know that all things work together for good for us because we love the Lord, and in time I thought I would see redemption.

What I did not anticipate was the collective fury and ownership from the ladies – a remarkable possessiveness of our property. They were indignant, even vitriolic, at the gall of anyone who would trespass on their sacred ground.  “This is ours, and a sanctified place” was the unanimous retort.  We are not taking justice into our own hands I am assured, and we are encouraged that the culprits will be apprehended. The police have their pictures.  I doubt that they read this blog, so hopefully they are temporarily rocking on a porch (as opposed to selling the chairs for drugs or guns,) if they have the glue that will keep the arms and runners attached.

After a few minutes of ranting, cooler heads prevailed. They formed a circle, held hands, and Debbie led the ladies in a prayer for the salvation of these two men. We are reminded that two criminals hung on crosses next to Jesus – one on the left and one on the right. One railed at Jesus for not saving himself and them. The other admitted his wrong and asked that Jesus remember him. Jesus responded to the second criminal,

“Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

                We’re praying that our thieves turn away from crime and to Him before Jesus comes like a thief in the night.

The article is riveting. The virtually legendary Bill Dries, a reporter with The Daily Memphian, details the murder of Vice Lords chief Ronald Terry at the hand of a rival in a subset of the same gang. Terry was affiliated with the “Ghost Mob” sect and Tim Johnson, his alleged murderer, was a member of the “Traveling Vice Lords.” Johnson was killed by Vincent Grant in retaliation for the death of Terry. Grant was convicted after less than an hour of deliberation by the jury, and the announcement of the conviction last week was the impetus for Dries’ story.

The tales of gang life are fascinating in the way tornados pique our interest. There is intense curiosity coupled with abject fear. While we read about them, watch documentaries, and discuss them over coffee, few of us will ever join a gang or chase a tornado. Why? In part, because we recognize their destructive power and ability to end or drastically change lives forever.

For some of us, we wonder why anyone would join a gang. If you’re close enough to gang culture to be recruited or to “volunteer,” you must know or know of people who have been killed, beaten, or imprisoned. These are not disparate outcomes of the unlucky few. These results are commonplace.

There is a lot of research dedicated to the reasons people join gangs and the risk factors that make it more likely someone will join. Poverty, exposure to violence, poor academic performance, and lack of parental supervision are some of the risk factors. At their core, they all point to a need for belonging-a desire for a “sense of family.” No family is perfect, but in a functional family you provide for those in your care the best you can. You protect them from harm. You seek help when you don’t have the answers, and you guide them through difficult times and decisions. Gangs promise to do all of this and more, but, of course, do not deliver.

Across multiple versions of Scripture, the word “belong” is used 127 times. Regardless of which version you prefer, there is no dispute that the idea of and need for belonging is a prevalent theme. In a 2019, article published by The Gospel Coalition, Pastor Jeremy Linneman lays out 3 ways the Bible describes our belonging:

1.      We belong to God – Father, Son, & Holy Spirit (John 16:15, Romans 1:6, Romans 8:9)

2.      We no longer belong to ourselves or the world (John 15:19, Colossians 2:20)

3.      We belong to one another in the church (Genesis 2:18, Romans 12:5)

These three principles are the essence of what we desire to model at My Cup of Tea.

Over the last 13 years, we have employed women who were once a part of a gang. Others have children and close family members engaged in gang activity at some level. Where gangs have failed, we strive to succeed. We belong to God and not ourselves. We belong to one another.

No one goes hungry. We pray for each other, provide wise counsel, and seek help for our sisters when we lack the expertise to assist. The My Cup of Tea ladies hold one another accountable and forgive when they are wronged.

And if we no longer belong to ourselves, but to God and one another, then we have no choice but to extend that love to our community (Romans 14:8-10). So, we open our doors on the corner of Carnes and Semmes to other women who need a job. We share the yield of our gardens when we can and continue to work to do more. We lead Neighborhood Watch to partner with others against the ravages of crime. We encourage others to come to Orange Mound and witness a renaissance in its infancy.

The need for belonging is innate in each of us. Many people search their whole lives for something to which they can belong or for a place where they are surrounded by others who see them and accept them. If My Cup of Tea is that “what” or the “where” for the women we employ or our volunteers, it is only because to whom we belong.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

          The Bible says that wealth is from God and belongs to Him.  Deuteronomy 8:18

“You shall remember the Lord, your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth.”

          Mastering budgets that could make a significant upgrade in the lives of the ladies who work for My Cup of Tea is complicated. We have invited many experts in finance who have conducted workshops, lectures, and encouragement for stewardship of income over the years of our nonprofit’s operation.  All of the ladies have been offered wise counsel by the best in the field of personal financial acumen. Professionals have left materials and phone numbers for further assistance.  However, there had been no substantial progress until recently.

In this community, a little cash left after the bills are paid rarely beckons practical purchases or nest eggs. The very fact that the bills are paid is progress since so many came to us unable to meet their basic needs. Now it is time to think and plan.

Most of the ladies live in the red-hot moment. Splurging on a bouncy inflatable for a child’s birthday, a gel manicure, a new “lace” wig, sequined eyelashes, or a tattoo most often absorbs the brief moments of solvency.  It’s understandable because these luxuries - the kinds most of us take for granted - have been rarities in their lives. Consequently, some have the mindset that if they don’t snatch up these “trinkets” now, there won’t be another opportunity.

 Our mission at My Cup of Tea is repeated and advanced with every sale of tea. We are determined to open every opportunity for their pecuniary development and spiritual maturity.

Fourteen months ago, God empowered and called a dozen friends in Memphis with the same earnest concern and commitment to our mission at My Cup of Tea. These friendly and frequently visiting advocates have become empowering guides discipling women in Kingdom mentality and eternal investments.  Most of the ladies from Orange Mound have begun these new relationships with uncertainty. Embracing hope and confronting challenges can be formidable. Justifiably, a few have expressed suspicion of the intentions of gracious service and sacrifice.  Some of the new partnerships begin with dinner dates, a birthday card, and encouraging words.  Making headway is challenging when pride and frustration have persuaded some to quit the quest.  Speed bumps have multiplied, potholes have deepened, and there are no straightaways. Trust ties take time I’ve been told. I have testified to that.

Not so, however, with our newest employee, whom I have called Momma Bear, (MB) in previous newsletters. I am stunned, ashamed of my skepticism, and have repented of my unbelief because MB has welcomed coaching on new life choices and is in a visible metamorphosis.

Keen, unorthodox survival savvy has been her ideology. People reared on the streets know the pecking order of life and tell-tale signals of untrustworthy people.  She had me stumped when she decided to stay with us and pursue employment. I labeled her “Trouble” with a capital “T” and considered her a short termer but nevertheless our newest employee.  I asked one of our very busy lifelong friends to walk with MB for the brevity of her job with My Cup of Tea. She said yes and arranged her schedule to mentor MB.

Pam, (P), has shown me Heaven’s view of MB. P is a veteran of faith and Godly wisdom and now meets with MB at the Orange Mound Library weekly and reads with her Growing in Christ, by the Navigators. MB has used, as never before, her leftover cash, in informed shopping. She bought new Oprah Winfrey readers with frames on sale and now can stay on the line she is reading with P. She has been to church 5 Sundays in a row, and she is one of the few who has prepared to lead a section of Scripture in our weekly Bible class.  P recently drove the family to a horse barn in Germantown. They petted, fed, and sat on a real horse, an animal in stark contrast to the familiar house rodents, Pitbull dogs, and stray cats in the neighborhood. MB has peeked into the possible and is bold and vociferous in making the new view permanent.  P has seen her with the eyes of Christ. He sought out the street people, the Momma Bears, the discouraged, and the disregarded.

MB has also joined an exercise class at the Kroc Center with the extra cash from her last pay cycle, and her daughters are enrolled in swimming lessons.

P joins the dozen women like her who are shepherding our willing women into greener venues with patience and prayer.

Our advocacy-mentoring-discipling program has spawned companions and true friendships. MB is walking with P in a new world of return for her investments.

All give time and experience, connections, and networks for their companions to make wise choices with their extra cash on Friday.  But more importantly, they explore with them inspired choices for character strengthening and eternal impact. As said often before, our employed women who live within the boundary of Orange Mound are learning to steward their wealth, model their dependence on the Lord, and return honor and shalom to the once-respected neighborhood called Orange Mound.