Every time I brew a cup of tea, I think of what Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Women are like tea bags.  Put them in hot water and their true strength emerges."

When the tea bag is sitting on the shelf, in its colorful box, carefully wrapped in a protective shield, it stays nice and fresh.  We're like that too.  When we're wrapped up in our peaceful lifestyle, and everything is going well, we feel nice and secure.

Like individuals, every tea has a different personality.  There are also different grades of teas, from premium to low grade, just as there are different levels of faith.  Like people, some teas are strong and full of flavor, and some are very aromatic, but without much substance.  There are teas known for their calming, soothing effect, and teas that give strength and energy.  Some of the weaker teas are tasteless, and just grow lukewarm as they steep.

But what happens when we are yanked out of our comfort zone?  Like a tea bag that is unwrapped and plunked into a cup of hot water, we can find ourselves plunked into a cup of trouble.  Now the real test begins.  What will emerge as the hot water uncurls the little dried tea leaves?  What level of strength emerges from us as we are steeped in difficulty?

Just as a tea bag hangs from a string tag, we too have a lifeline to which we can hold:  Jesus.  As we hold on to Him, we feel His peace emerge, and He flavors our troubled waters.  His power and energy moves through our situations, changing our despair to hope through faith in His promises.  And as we trust Jesus, He becomes the flavorful strength that anchors our souls, and we become the tag that is lifted and draped securely outside the cup of hot water.

The lift we get from a cup of tea lasts only a short time, but the lift we get from Jesus is long lasting.  In fact, it will take us all the way to heaven!