Which One Are You?

This was passed onto us at the Home School Leadership Retreat. I felt it was worth re-typing and posting for all to read:


A daughter cried out in despair to her father about the difficulties of her life. She did not know how she could continue, and wanted to give up. It seemed that just as one problem was resolved, a new one surfaced to replace it.

Her father took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each one over high heat. After the water came to a boil, he placed fresh carrots in one, a few eggs in the second, and a tea bag in the third. He sat wordlessly for about 20 minutes. Then he removed the carrots, the eggs, and the tea to three bowls and turned to ask her, "Sweetheart, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and tea," she replied. He brought her closer and had her examine each item. She noticed that the carrots had become soft. When she broke an eggshell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she sipped the tea and smiled as she inhaled its sweet aroma. "What does this mean?" she asked.

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity - the boiling water - but each had reacted differently. The carrot went into the circumstances of the water strong, firm and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile; its thin outer shell had protected the liquid interior. But after sitting in the boiling water, the inside had become hardened.

However, the tea leaves were unique. After 20 minutes in the water, they had changed the water - they had flavored their surroundings and created a pleasant fragrance. In fact, it took the hot water to bring out the best in the tea leaves.

He asked her, "When the heat is turned up in the circumstances of your life, which are you? A carrot that appears tough, but with pain and adversity loses its vitality and strength? An egg, which starts off with a malleable heart, but becomes unyielding and hardened, even though the appearance stays the same? Or a tea bag, which brings a pleasant aroma and flavors the circumstances for the better when the heat is on?"


I want to be a tea bag.