Some things have just never occurred to me. Take, for example, what would happen if a big tea company unexpectedly ran 
out of string to put on their tea bags. Do you ever think about stuff like that? You do? You’re sick!
Seriously, this almost happened to the famous Bigelow Tea company. A friend sent me a link to their blog. (I never even imagined a tea company having a blog, much less actually reading it). Anyway, in an act of pure transparency, the post dated December 14th, 2007 told how the company suddenly discovered they were almost out of string the other day during this busy season of the year. Their longtime supplier went the extra mile to cover for them and ensure that people would find their tea bags in their Christmas stockings — complete with string! I thought it was a great story on an interesting blog and I came away with new respect for Bigelow Tea.
The point made in the blog was that they have systems, records, people and checks in place to avoid this ever happening. Somewhere along the way someone or something broke down. Now, they have to go back through their processes and see what they need to do to avoid getting into this situation again. If you want to read their version of the story, go here and scroll down to December 14th.
I can imagine a tea company crisis due to running low on tea, but string for the tea bags? Who would have ever thought?
Maybe this is a point to ponder. How many of the crises in our lives are due to lack of attention to the seemingly insignificant details ahead of time? How often does our own procrastination and carelessness bring on unnecessary crisis?
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Song of Solomon 2:15
From tea bags to tigers
Let me connect this to something we have seen in the news this week. A young man was tragically killed by a tiger in the San Francisco zoo. There is now serious speculation that he and his friends had been taunting the beast. While it is not a
good idea to taunt any animal, there is no way that big cat should have been able to get to these guys.
Do you remember how the news story played out? First we heard how it was physically impossible for the tiger to get out of his habitat. We heard of a 20-foot moat and a 20-foot high wall. All the TV experts pontificated how a tiger getting out of such an environment was physically impossible. Then, the truth began to leak out. The 20-foot moat was really 33 foot. But, there was no water in the moat. There never had been. No one seemed to have thought that to be important. After all, there was that 20-foot high wall.
Finally, we heard that the 20-foot high wall was actually 12 1/2 foot high. The zoo director was not aware of that, but some people were. They just didn’t think it was important enough to mention. That 12 1/2-foot high wall was probably good enough. After all, no tiger had even gotten out of there before.
Yeah, and we’ve never run out of string before either.
Back to you
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8
Can you see any possible applications for our lives here? Just be careful not to get strung out.
Don’t Get Strung Out!
Some things have just never occurred to me. Take, for example, what would happen if a big tea company unexpectedly ran
out of string to put on their tea bags. Do you ever think about stuff like that? You do? You’re sick!
Seriously, this almost happened to the famous Bigelow Tea company. A friend sent me a link to their blog. (I never even imagined a tea company having a blog, much less actually reading it). Anyway, in an act of pure transparency, the post dated December 14th, 2007 told how the company suddenly discovered they were almost out of string the other day during this busy season of the year. Their longtime supplier went the extra mile to cover for them and ensure that people would find their tea bags in their Christmas stockings — complete with string! I thought it was a great story on an interesting blog and I came away with new respect for Bigelow Tea.
The point made in the blog was that they have systems, records, people and checks in place to avoid this ever happening. Somewhere along the way someone or something broke down. Now, they have to go back through their processes and see what they need to do to avoid getting into this situation again. If you want to read their version of the story, go here and scroll down to December 14th.
I can imagine a tea company crisis due to running low on tea, but string for the tea bags? Who would have ever thought?
Maybe this is a point to ponder. How many of the crises in our lives are due to lack of attention to the seemingly insignificant details ahead of time? How often does our own procrastination and carelessness bring on unnecessary crisis?
From tea bags to tigers
Let me connect this to something we have seen in the news this week. A young man was tragically killed by a tiger in the San Francisco zoo. There is now serious speculation that he and his friends had been taunting the beast. While it is not a
good idea to taunt any animal, there is no way that big cat should have been able to get to these guys.
Do you remember how the news story played out? First we heard how it was physically impossible for the tiger to get out of his habitat. We heard of a 20-foot moat and a 20-foot high wall. All the TV experts pontificated how a tiger getting out of such an environment was physically impossible. Then, the truth began to leak out. The 20-foot moat was really 33 foot. But, there was no water in the moat. There never had been. No one seemed to have thought that to be important. After all, there was that 20-foot high wall.
Finally, we heard that the 20-foot high wall was actually 12 1/2 foot high. The zoo director was not aware of that, but some people were. They just didn’t think it was important enough to mention. That 12 1/2-foot high wall was probably good enough. After all, no tiger had even gotten out of there before.
Yeah, and we’ve never run out of string before either.
Back to you
Can you see any possible applications for our lives here? Just be careful not to get strung out.