Tea by the sea…

Welcome, we are sitting overlooking azure waters of the bay today, the sun is shinning, the birds are chirping & the waves are gently lapping the shore, let us begin our time of reflection…

I have brewed my all time favorite tea blend, Earl Grey. A black tea with bergamot added, a leafy herb that was used as a tea by the early American Indians for sore throats, stomach ailments & colds. My tasty treat is a chocolate covered organic bite with coconut & candied citrus pieces.

Earl Grey tea is the one blend I keep coming back to, I enjoy it everyday with breakfast.  It’s like an old friend, you know exactly what to expect & it never disappoints. Especially in that early part of the day when you need that true & trusted cup that is part of a comforting routine, as you prepare for the day.

I must admit I do find routines very comforting

I particularly realized this after my late husband passed away from brain cancer in 2002. I was living & working on our farm as a wool grower & also as the region’s clinical counselor when he died.

The big drought had just started… Going out to hand feed our large flocks of sheep & checking their water troughs each morning was comforting. I knew what I had to do, to keep my husband’s life work going & I was determined to honor his memory in this way…

After a while though I realized, although these routines were comforting & my intentions honorable, they had also started to be emotionally draining. As I was living another’s dream, my late husband’s, not my own.

I came to a point where I knew that I needed to get out of the routines that had initially bought comfort & live the life I had been created to live. My husband’s greatest desire for me before he died, was for me to go & live an abundant life after he had passed into glory…

I had to ask myself was I living that abundant life?

After much prayer & soul searching, for this was not an easy decision to make, I made preparations to hand the farm over & to head for my dream with God’s clear direction for my life…to the mountains by the seacoast!

“The Lord is my Shepherd,  I shall not want…. He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.”

Psalms 23: 1-2

A short time later I found myself living in the most beautiful seaside paradise, that has been so very healing & restorative for my soul.

So, while I still enjoy comforting cups of Earl Grey tea as part of my morning routine. I no longer try & keep someone else’s dream or life’s work alive but live my own life, abundantly.

Trying new tea blends & new little experiences that are healthy for my soul…like starting this blog!

While we are in reflection, ask yourself dear friend…are you living the abundant life you were created to live or are you trying to live a life that is or was someone else’s dream for you or them? Yes, it may have started as a comforting routine or a great idea at the time but it has now become unhealthy…

My Earl Grey tea is now finished & the chocolate bite was absolutely delicious! The tide has come in & my shady spot is no longer shady…

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

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