Sipping tea with Jesus

By Julia Fernandes

June 13, 2011

Whether you are happy or sad

Just press the button called prayer

To dial God anywhere

-- Julia Fernandes

All of us have different methods of praying. No two persons pray alike. However, my methods of praying are very unconventional to say the least. In the morning, I arrange all my little statues, with my candles and matchbox on my small table, and sit on the sofa in front of the table with my cup of tea. As I quietly sip my tea I become aware of the presence of Jesus on my mini-table. I feel as though I am sipping tea with none other than Jesus! The feeling of comfort you feel when you sit and share a coffee or tea with your best friend -- that is the joy I feel when I have my tea with Jesus looking at me.

So, the next time you find yourself alone and you find that there is nobody to share a meal with you, try keeping a small statue or a picture of Jesus or a picture of the God you daily pray to on your meal table. You would be surprised at the feeling of someone looking over you lovingly as you partake in your meal. It is the most comforting feeling to have a meal or sip your favourite drink with God, if you really consider God as your friend.

Then my next session of prayer is in the train as I undertake a one and half hour journey from Virar to Mumbai to reach my workplace. I must admit in the din and noise of the trains it becomes very difficult concentrating on a prayer. Sometimes I doze off while praying, at other times the antics of the train passengers distract me. Then when I realize I am not praying whole-heartedly I stop and close my prayer book. It is better to not pray than to pray with mere lip service. God deserves full attention and not our half or quarter attention. Finally, at night when I am dead tired I manage to utter a simple thank you for everything and hit the pillow immediately!

I have come to learn that our attitude to prayer should not be one of just asking God for everything or remembering Him only when things go wrong in our life. Neither should our prayer be just thanks and praise and then forgetting God, distancing Him from the other aspects of our life. The best way to pray is to remember God in every moment of our life, sharing our fears, laughter, joy and sorrow with Him. That not only makes God happy but also makes Him feel a part of our lives.

Trust me, God is interested in the little things that you plan to do. He would love to listen to things that made you laugh or people who made you happy or sad. Let me add, God has a terrific sense of humour. I often share the funny incidents in my life with God and I know that just as I am smiling or laughing here, a smile has also escaped from God’s face too...:)

When I am busy doing the dishes in the kitchen and I hear a sound of laughter from my family members from the living room, I throw an appreciative smiling glance at Jesus (I have a small altar in my kitchen, too) thanking Him secretly for the blessing of laughter and mirth in my home. On those odd days when I hear arguments I throw an anguish look at Jesus, as if imploring Him to please handle it.

Whatever the mode of praying, the one where you feel closest to God is the best method of communicating with your maker. So, one can either pray on one’s kneel, or stand or sit or like me can simply be sharing a tea with Jesus!