Do you remember the scene in "Gone With the Wind" where, during the fundraising bazaar for the Confederacy, Rhett Butler is walking around collecting trinkets to benefit "The Cause" and Melanie Wilkes says "Here Captain Butler. Take my wedding ring. It may help my husband more OFF my finger." Remember Melanie's selfless action? Well, that's not me. I'm more like Scarlett, whose guilty conscience caused her to add her own wedding ring to the collection basket only after she saw Melanie do so. I have to confess I didn't exactly feel like selfless Melanie when I read on Tea Party Girl recently about Operation Tea Time, which is collecting teawares for a May 16 tea party to benefit wounded soldiers at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. "They'll get my teacups when they pry 'em out of my cold, dead fingers," I thought.
Well, not really. Actually, a few events conspired to make me decide to send a donation. First, I like Tea Party Girl, and since she recommended this project, I wanted to help. Next, a ministry I admire sent its new newsletter, and this one suggested that if we have a problem with greed (and I'm not necessarily saying I do, mind you), we should try giving something away to someone else. Even my teacups? Surely not!
But then I searched online and found this post (on page 3) showing a wounded soldier enjoying last year's tea. One look at that photo and I said yep, I want to be a part of that! Because I have been greatly blessed with tea things, I am sending these cups and saucers as my small little "thank you" to the soldiers. You can read more about this effort at operationteatime.org, and if you want to help, too, you can send your donation of cups and saucers, teapots, sugar bowls and/or creamers to: Operation Tea Time, P.O. Box 1355, Bronx, NY 10471. Deadline is May 5. I'm sure I'll even feel pretty good about giving away teawares once the post office 
You go, girl! What a great analogy/memory with Scarlett and Melanie. Are the pictures the cups you are sending? I can see why they might be difficult to let go of.
ReplyDeleteYes, these are the ones I sent and I stopped by the post office and mailed them on the way to work this morning so I wouldn't be tempted to keep them! My husband asked if I was giving away "the ones I don't like," and I said, "But I don't *have* any I don't like!" But hey, it's for a good cause!
ReplyDeleteYou are so funny Angela!!!! I love your sense of humor and also your willingness to support our troops in this sweet way. Thank you for lettin us know about such a thing!!!tammyp
ReplyDeleteYou have a very big heart Angela and do does Tea Party Girl. Your gifts will be greatly rewarded I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI admire how you allowed the Lord to win on this one. It is amazing what He knows we must do. I am sure you will be blessed by this sacrifice of obedience you have made! I know too well the rationalizations we make to keep our stuff!
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteI was so excited this evening, when I opened our p.o. box to find a call slip, the first china donation to come in, and it was yours! Everything arrived in perfect condition, and they are absolutely gorgoeous. I love them! Reading the story behind your
donation, makes them that much more special. Thank you so much for this truly beautiful donation.
Deborah - Operaton Tea Time