Loaves, Fishes, and a Pot of Tea: Ordinary Hospitality for Mothers
There’s something sacred about tea time, especially when it’s accompanied by crumbs, coloring pages, and chattering children. In the middle of motherhood’s chaos, we often feel like we have nothing extra to offer, but Scripture reminds us that Jesus delights in using our “not enough.” He fed thousands with a boy’s humble lunch. Surely He can multiply a pot of tea and a willing heart.
Hospitality doesn’t require spotless baseboards or hand-glazed scones. It starts with a heart ready to pour out - a little tea, precious time, truth in love, and faith filled prayer.
Why Tea Time?
In our home, tea time isn’t fancy. It’s sacred.
It’s how we pause in the middle of homeschool lessons or laundry piles. It’s how I connect with my kids; and sometimes, how I connect with a weary mama friend who needs someone to remind her she’s not invisible.
Sometimes we talk about books and beauty. Sometimes we share tears and Scripture. Always, we make space for God to fill what we cannot.
Jesus doesn’t need perfection. He just asks for what we have...our loaves, our fishes, and yes, even our teacups.
Want to Start a Tea Time Tradition?
Here’s how we keep it simple, and just a little special. These are our favorite supplies and stories that make tea time feel like a ministry we have prepared for, instead of a performance.
🍃 1. Chapters Loose Leaf Tea
This is the perfect tea for book-loving mamas and meaningful moments. Their blends are inspired by literature and come with cozy descriptions that spark conversation. My kids love the smell and ceremony of steeping loose leaf tea.
🫖 Shop Chapters Tea here and use code BOOKTEA20 for 20% off your first order!
📚 2. The Goops Books
Meet the Goops! These old-fashioned books of manners in rhyme are equal parts hilarious and convicting. We read a short poem aloud and gently discuss how the Goops might show up in our own table manners.
🌿 3. Around the Year by Elsa Beskow
A seasonal favorite. This sweet book of verses helps us notice and delight in the rhythms of God’s creation. I’ll read the seasonal monthly pages while we nibble ginger cookies and sip something warm.
🎉 4. A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor
This one feels like a warm blanket and a candlelit memory all at once. It walks through old-fashioned family traditions for each month, reminding us how beautiful simple celebrations can be.
🪞 5. George Washington’s Rules of Civility
Because nothing says “gracious living” like teaching your children to behave like 18th-century gentlemen. 😂 Great for older kids and surprisingly applicable to modern manners (albeit also quite humorous and out of date at times, too)!
🍽️ 6. Connoisseur Kids
A modern and very readable book that helps children understand how to behave thoughtfully in social settings, from thank-you notes to dinner parties. We often choose a section to talk about over our tea time. It includes little games and activities that are perfect for use while entertaining friends.
🍬 7. Teapot Sugar Cubes
No explanation needed. These are just CUTE. Perfect for company. Adds instant charm and delight.
🍬 8. Tea service
Tea sets don't have to be matching. Enjoy thrifting sweet china tea cups or searching Etsy for special pieces to accrue slowly. Actually, you can even serve tea in your mismatched coffee mugs. Honestly, it's about the fellowship and not the presentation.
Final Encouragement for the Weary Hostess
Dear mama, you don’t need Pinterest-worthy table settings or an Instagrammable spread. What you do need is a heart willing to offer your time, presence, and the gentle reminder that Jesus is enough—even when you feel like you’re not.
So go ahead: brew the tea, put out the store bought cookies, and invite a friend over. Then, trust that the same God who multiplied a little boy’s lunch can take your humble offering and make it nourishing, beautiful, and overflowing.
“Little is much when God is in it.” – John 6:12-13 (paraphrased)