4.04.2006
Thoughts Over Tea
Every Tuesday afternoon after knitting class, Anna and I stop at the Cyber Stop to get a Krispy Kreme donut and a drink. (The Cyber Stop is a full-service gas station featuring FREE wireless?!? I’m not sure WHO it is that has time to surf the web while they’re filling up.) Anna gets a soda and I get my all time favorite convenience-store drink: Lipton sweet ice-tea. I love that stuff. Totally addicted. When I drink it, I’m always thrown back to southern Arkansas where the folks really know how to make it. Sometimes I think of Father Tim and Cynthia from my favorite books: The Mitford Series. (Those books are just like old friends to me and I’ve read the entire series no less than three times.) Jan Karon has also written the Mitford Kitchen Reader that includes Father Tim’s Mother’s Tea recipe. (*see recipe & Kitchen Reader excerpt below) Mmm. MMM!
Funny that I love sweet tea so much. I grew up drinking the instant kind and it never had sugar mixed in! I always drank it without batting an eye until I met my southern-boy husband. The first time he ever tasted the instant stuff he nearly puked. But of course, being the genteel, southern boy that he is, he was always the picture of graciousness and kindness and never complained to his hostess future-mother-in-law. However, after we got married, he sweetly informed me of a better way. And of course, it was!
When I grew up, I rejected the bitter, instant tea— but I didn’t reject everything that my mother cooked. She made a lot of things well and I still use some of those recipes in my cooking today. Her salmon patty recipe is awesome and I still love her crock pot roast. Today as I was drinking the tea, I thought of other things that I grew up with but later rejected.
For instance, I grew up in a church that went crazy over the Bill Gothard movement. At the time, I was growing spiritually like a weed. I was very zealous in my love for the Lord (as I hope that I still am) and embraced the movement completely because the people at my church whom I admired the most embraced it. As I grew and especially after I met my husband, I began to see many things within that movement that weren’t completely biblical and even harmful to true, healthy spiritual growth. I look back at those years and shake my head at some of the things that I thought and believed. Twenty years later, I’ve thrown out a lot of those beliefs just as I’ve pitched the instant iced-tea. No good. Yuck.
But what I don’t throw out is the love that I had for the Lord or the zeal that I had to follow Him with my whole heart. And (hopefully) I don’t make fun of the people I encounter who are at that same sort of spot in their own spiritual walk. I may try to introduce the "better recipes," but I don’t belittle these folks who are trying to live out their love for the Lord in the best way that they know at the moment. Hopefully, I’ll be like my sweet husband when he was sitting at my mother’s kitchen table. Kind and gracious.
Many of us were raised in a certain tradition or with certain ideologies. Eventually though, we grow up, go to college or change churches and get exposed to opposing thoughts and ideas. This can and often is a good thing. As our thinking is challenged, we start to dig into the Scriptures for ourselves and develop independent, autonomous ideas. Hopefully, though, we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. And of course, we never reject the one thing that should forever be our constant: God's Word.
Just some random thoughts I had today over a glass of iced-tea. Cheers.
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“Man alive! What’s this?” “It’s my new iced tea recipe,” said his wife. “Do you like it?” He raised his glass in a salute. “It’s the best I ever tasted. I didn’t know you could do this.” “I didn’t, either. I never knew how to make good iced tea. So, with our parish party coming up, I asked the Lord to give me the perfect recipe.” “That’s the spirit!” “Do you honestly like it?” “I never tasted better!” he exclaimed, stealing no thunder from his mother, whose tea represented the southern idea—heavy on sugar, and blasted with the juice of fresh lemons. “I woke up yesterday morning and was bursting with all these new ideas about tea. It was very exciting.” “Hmm,” he said, gulping draughts of the cold, fruity liquid. “Tropical. Exotic.” He swigged it down to the last drop. “Two thumbs up,” he said. “I’m not sure everybody would understand where the recipe came from. She shrugged. “If He gave William Blake those drawings, why couldn’t He give me a simple tea recipe?” “Good point. What’s in it?” “I can’t tell you.” “You can’t tell me?” “No, darling, I’ve decided to do something very southern—which is to possess at least one secret recipe.” She looked pleased with herself. “But you can tell me.” “Not on your life!” “Why not? I’m your husband!” “Some well-intentioned parishioner would yank it out of you just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “No!” “Yes. And then I’d be in the same boat with poor Esther, whose once-secret orange Marmalade cake recipe is circulating through Mitford like a virus.” “If that’s the way you feel,” he said, slightly miffed.-A New Song, Chapter nine FATHER TIM’S MOTHER’S TEA 2 large lemons 3 Lipton family-size teabags, tags removed 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar Squeeze the lemons into a small bowl, chill the juice, and reserve the skins. Place the teabags and reserved lemon hulls into a large pottery or glass pitcher and our in 2 cups of cold water. Bring a kettle with 4 cups water to a rolling boil. Pour the boiling water over the teabags and cover the pitcher with a small plate. Steep for 10 minutes, then remove the teabags and lemon skins. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add 3 more cups of cold water. Serve over ice and garnished with a fresh lemon slice.
12 Comments:
THAT's the way, uh-uh uh-uh, I like it, uh-uh uh-uh;
THAT'S the way, uh-uh uh-uh, I like it!
uh-uh uh-uh...
Spencer, the husband
The tea, I mean.
Spencer
I'm reading the other two comments here and feel strangely like I may be interrupting something. Uhm, excuse me. Isn't one of the coolest things about blogging that it offers a chance to connect, or in this case reconnect, with friends both old and new? I can deeply relate to all you're saying Michelle, we encountered much of the same teaching at very similar times in our lives. I was coming off unquenchable party days at college and passionate about my relationship with God. Funny how that teaching and movement sucked in the zealous and passionate. I, too, have thrown most of that off, and I, too, pray that though it looks different than it did then, my passion and zeal remain strong. I look forward to reading more of your blog.
Lindy
Spencer, you're so funny. I forgot that Lindy and Michelle would know each other! That's cool.
Michelle, your words were inspiring. I think there are times I try to shove down the "new" recipe and make people love it like me. So, this post is a good reminder.
P.S. That recipe sounds awesome!!
Is this the same Lindy who used to go to Eastwood? Do ya'll still go there? The world is shrinking every day!
PS- I can't believe I just typed in the world "ya'll" - what is Missouri doing to me???
Is this the same Lindy who used to go to Eastwood? Do ya'll still go there? The world is shrinking every day!
PS- I can't believe I just typed in the world "ya'll" - what is Missouri doing to me???
LOL, Spencer and Lindy you guys are so funny!
Okay, I am totally with you about the sweet tea....it has been hot here and it is exactly what I want to drink!! mmm. That recipe looks so good!! I too, grew up on unsweet tea but when we lived in South Carolina that changed. It was everywhere there and SO good! Nothing like I had remembered trying before. So, I know this post was much deeper than I am going but I love the tea too my sista!
Wow...Michelle...you're writing never ceases to amaze me...I look forward to reading your blog every day when I get home from school...It is amazing how the Lord works with our hearts and minds and molds us daily...totally like the potter's clay...I'm glad He hasn't left me alone...his molding hurts some days...but so glad He's still there working on me..thanks for the reminder and your beautiful verbal imagery....keep writing girl...
Ruth
Hey Megan, yeah, same Lindy and no, don't go to Eastwood anymore. Sorry to highjack your blog to talk to Megan, Michelle. I lead worship at a church called Rivendell Fellowship, and I have a 9 month old son, my first. I love being a dad. Hope you are doing well.
Ah ha. Now don't laugh at me, but I've seen the "Rivendell Fellowship" blog lists on a couple of blogs and thought - hmm, some church has named a small group after the Lord of the Rings.
:) Nice to "see" you again after all these years. Glad to hear things are going well for you!
Lindy-- thanks for hi-jacking my blog! :) You need to post pictures of your boy! (Although I've noticed that Rivendell people don't tend to post pictures of their families/kids/etc., so maybe y'all are just being extra-internet-cautious.)
LL- I'm always guilty of wanting everyone to want what I want/have--TODAY. One of my biggest flaws. Hopefully I'm more mature today than I was 20 years ago. (19 really but who's counting?) :)
HJ-- if you will come to KC with your hubby this summer, I'll pour you a big glass of the stuff and we'll sit on my deck and and have a nice long chat. (In person!)
Ruth- you are so sweet girl. I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. I think it's a great way to keep up with everybody.
Hi, there. I posted earlier after reading down from your WFMW. I've been working through other posts and decided to go through your favorite posts as well. I could have commented on one of the others, but I just had to comment on Mitford and tea. I love brewed tea and can't stand instant, but I drink it "unsweet." And yes, Father Tim and the whole crew are SO dear to me, and I also have read the whole series mulitple times. I'm moving you from my informal blog system from "trial" right up to Faves, which doesn't usually happen in one day.
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