Ode to a cup of tea

One of the worst things about having a baby -besides being woken up at unearthly hours, being pooed on, sicked on, snotted on and peed on- is suddenly being confronted by how self-centred you can be.  My baby girl has a morning nap like most babies but the difficult thing is guessing how long it will last.  Time and time again whether twenty minutes into a nap or an hour... after having rushed around putting all the dirty crockery and cutlery in the dishwasher, having freed our cat from the monster that is our laundry basket and having updated the all important Facebook status to tell everyone that the cat is alive and well, I finally sit down with a cup of tea.  But the inevitable murmurs begin being broadcast via the baby monitor.  My suddenly rosy demeanour wilts and I trudge upstairs, all I want is five minutes more to relax and have my tea, why can't she stay asleep for a little longer...

Paul Reiser reflected on this in an article in Good Housekeeping in 1997 he stated: “Having a baby dragged me, kicking and screaming, from the world of self-absorption”.  Putting myself first in something as simple as being able to relax and enjoy a cup of tea is something I would not have thought twice about before I had a baby and it extends well beyond having a cup of tea.  Finishing the washing up, cooking tea, putting the laundry on, reading my book, watching re-runs of America’s Next Top Model (yes I publically admit it), lounging in the bath, drying my hair, checking my emails and so the list goes on. Now don’t get me wrong, God created work for us to do and all the recreational things we love.  There’s nothing wrong with having a cup of tea or any of the above tasks (except maybe the Top Model thing...!) when enjoying them out of reverence for God’s good gifts to us and out of obedience to Christ.  But more often than not my frustration at not being able to finish many of these activities is not because I cannot finish being servant hearted and obedient, but because of how much I value being able to remain in control and put myself first. 

I have often found myself saying “Wait a minute!” or “Hang on, Mummy just wants to finish this” and I think about how I would feel if I called out to Jesus and he told me to wait a minute! Jesus never sought to put himself first and he was always looking out for the weak and vulnerable without a dash of self-interest and I find myself wondering how many cups of tea he happily left to come to the aid of someone who called out to him?

Mark 10: 45 "The Son of Man himself has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life to set many others free".