The second main gathering at the 2016 CM Conference had Heidi Hensley sharing with us about how we connect with those around us. While she did not reference being a little teapot, I see it as a great object lesson for what she shared with us.
She shared that all of our connections fall into one of three categories. Those we pour into, those who pour into us, and those who connect us to God.
As a little teapot, we pour into people. The question becomes what are we pouring into them? We need to be pouring in encouragement into others. We need to help and encourage them on their journey. To often we give parents a take home sheet and send them along their way, not really connecting. We need to do what we can to walk with along that journey. It is along that road that relationships are made.
We also need to be careful who is pouring into us. If we have garbage poured in, then we cannot pour good things into others. What you fill your “teapot” up with is what it will pour out. Heidi encouraged us to connect with other people with experience in ministry so they can pour into us.
While Heidi did not mention this, the connection with God is like the burner that the teapot sits on. It keeps us warm, and allows us to have an impact on those around us by just being there (i.e. the steam – Holy Spirit). People in our lives can be that “burner”, keeping us “hot”, connecting us to God.
You want to be someone that people want to be connected to, and we can accomplish that by doing stuff, and asking others what they are doing.
How are you at connecting with others?
