Tea with Rachel: The Joys of Cross-Generational Conversation

A couple of weeks ago, Ron, a long-time family friend, contacted my husband, sharing that he was creating a special fun-filled “father-daughter” get-away weekend near our home. It had been several years since we had seen them. What a wonderful time it would be for a reunion to start off their special weekend together!

As we talked more about the details for their visit, we decided on a tea party to celebrate our time together.

I sketched some ideas for a tea party theme. I immediately put on some inspirational music in the background and took out some of my favorite tea sets and some crafts to decorate the table. A table is like a blank canvas for me. With some small baskets filled with fruit, cheese crumpets, and scones, trays of colorful berries, plates of decadent chocolates, silverware, and napkins set to a backdrop of beautiful floral hues, my canvas was complete.

We welcomed Ron and Rachel into our home on a bright, sunny summer morning greeting each other with warm hugs of joy that rekindled our friendship. We all began chatting away with so much to share about their special “Father-Daughter” weekend.

As conversations continued, I invited everyone into our family room, where my tea party “painting” was waiting for all to enjoy. We started with cold sparkling water served in goblet glasses with ice, lemon slices and berries for this warm day.

We brought our refreshments outside for a stroll through the garden as we continued to share our personal stories of late.

Along the walk, we made several stops to enjoy the vast array of colors, scents and textures of the garden. The smells of the citrus trees’ sweet budding flowers; the monarch and yellow tail butterflies gingerly dancing around one another as they feast on the sweet nectar of the flowering plants. At the end of the path, we reached the magnificent gathering of roses and their sweet aromatic fragrance.

We sat for a few minutes, taking in the gracious moments of nature masterfully created by our Heavenly Father.

While my husband and our guests were enjoying the garden, I went inside to boil the water for a light fruit tea and added some last minute touches of fresh mint and geraniums to the plates.

As everyone returned inside, Ron and my husband collected their tea and plates of crumpets, scones and fruit and continued their conversation.

Rachel and I gathered our teas and plates and sat at the table with sketch pads and colored pencils and began to draw. As we opened our pads and chose our color pencils, Rachel began talking about things she likes to do, her school and her friends.

As we talked more Rachel, quietly said, “Excuse me, I hope it is okay, I don’t want to be wasteful…may I have a glass of water with lemon, instead of my tea?”

I immediately replied and said, “Absolutely, I want you to enjoy our time together!” I smiled with a soft giggle and said, “Thank you for letting me know.”

As we continued our conversation, I noticed that Rachel was swinging her legs back and forth as she sketched pictures of flowers from the garden. We talked about how she loves God, how God is so BIG. We both stretched our arms out as wide as they could go to show how big God is. We talked about how God loves us and how He is our Heavenly Father. We both almost fell out of chairs, stretching our arms so wide, as thought we were embracing God’s love!

She began to tell me a story about a movie called Miracles that she recently watched with her family, about a little girl who was ill. Although this little girl had been ill for years, she learned that, through the power of prayer and a family’s committed belief, our Heavenly Father is a miracle worker and hears our prayers. The girl believed she would be healed and with a big joyous smile, Rachel declared, “She was healed!” Rachel concluded her story by saying that the movie was based on a true story. “I do believe God does heal,” said Rachel, “and he gives us miracles and blessings—if we believe.”

We both took a deep breath and decided to go for one more garden adventure before their departure. We took a walk around the neighborhood to see the butterflies, flowers, trees, animals and even a few angels!

As we turned the corner to come home, Ron and my husband were waiting outside for us. It was time for them to head on to their next adventure in their father- daughter weekend.

We departed with big hugs. I was so happy that I got to experience Rachel’s beautiful heart and smile. What a beautiful image I carry in my heart: Rachel with her arms filled with bouquets of flowers and leaves she collected during our time together.

As they loaded their things in the car, Rachel rolled down the window and said that her Daddy would send photos of her from her next adventure.

As they drove off, my husband and I gave our last big waves and blew some air kisses goodbye. We quietly went inside and, as we closed the door behind us, we said at the same time, “What a special day we just had with Ron and Rachel.”

I began to clean up the room, finding a few rose petals and stems of rosemary on the ground. I stopped for a moment, took a long deep breath, looked up to skies above and, with a peaceful smile, said, “Thank you, God, for this special tea with Rachel.”

As I continued to clear the plates, it dawned on me that Rachel, my eleven- year-old tea guest, was a real gift from God. She reminded me (and I hope she reminds all of us) that no matter how busy the day may be, or what challenges we may face, God is a BIG God, a loving Father who wants to bless you with His love and miracles. It is up to us to BELIEVE.

Thank you, God, for another gifted tea time to enjoy the richness of your love.