Every year for advent we do something creative for the count down. A lot of people use chocolate calenders or tree ornaments. In our count down I prepare 24 things that we can make or do with or for someone, that won't take too long but is fun; one per day.(On another day I will post ideas I've had over the years) For now I want to tell you what happened as I was preparing this years idea. This year I have a plan that the 24 tasks will be written on one side of the paper and on the other side will be a potion of a larger picture and when all 24 tasks are done and flipped over we will have pieced together a picture. I didn't have a picture the size I wanted so being the creative me that I am I decided to start drawing. I wasn't really sure what I wanted and I'm kinda in a time crunch, as tomorrow is Dec 1, so I thought if I just start drawing things of Christmas I will have something in the end. First I started with a tree, then I put typical manger scene next to it, just the stable to start with. Then I started drawing in each person in our family and of course Mary Joseph and baby Jesus in a pretty little feeding trough. Everyone was in, I drew some stars at the top and ....... I stopped and looked at the drawing....... by the way I was skipping my devotion time to do this since I was feeling in a rush. Funny thing is Jesus wasn't skipping because he revealed something to me right at this moment as I was taking stock of what I had just begun to draw. There it was, I had roughly sketched my family looking straight at the Christmas tree with Mary, Joseph and Jesus behind us.The stable was so close to the tree that some characters of our family had to be drawn inside the manger scene, but still faced the tree. At this point I realize I am not happy with what I have just drawn. I am actually kind of stunned as I see it. I try to see how I can re imagine what I am drew... change this person's body and arms, re draw that...I can't. It is very clear; what's been drawn has been drawn. We are so into the Christmas tree that we are not even aware of the birth of our savior. The sentence seems to echo in my mind. It's true of the drawing but is this truly how it is for us? What does this all mean? Do we cancel the Christmas tree?.... I think my family will have mutiny if that is the outcome. Jesus has a message for me in this and I will be asking him to reveal more.
Jesus I want to face you not the traditions we've made up.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
What are you complaining about?
How can I complain about having a small kitchen when some families live in a house the same size?
Will I remember not to grumble the next time I am hungry because I saw what real hunger is?
How can I desire yet another pair of shoes when some people have no shoes at all?
Is it only because of the circumstances of my life that I praise God with such joy? Would I praise him with such enthusiasm if my circumstances even remotely resembled theirs?
How can I complain about slow Internet when I have the means to own a computer, a house, a car ....?
Will I still complain about slow service, bad drivers, not enough money or road conditions after the things I have seen?
In Zambia I saw how I take so many things for granted, I realized I complain about things that would be a blessing to others. The complaints of the 1st world seem stupid once you have walked with someone who lives in a 3rd world. I appreciate how God is challenging me and I want to hang on to the things I learned in Zambia but I fear that as fresh as it is in my mind now; it will fade. Let's work together to end the complaining.
Need more convincing?
What are you complaining about?
Will I remember not to grumble the next time I am hungry because I saw what real hunger is?
How can I desire yet another pair of shoes when some people have no shoes at all?
Is it only because of the circumstances of my life that I praise God with such joy? Would I praise him with such enthusiasm if my circumstances even remotely resembled theirs?
How can I complain about slow Internet when I have the means to own a computer, a house, a car ....?
Will I still complain about slow service, bad drivers, not enough money or road conditions after the things I have seen?
In Zambia I saw how I take so many things for granted, I realized I complain about things that would be a blessing to others. The complaints of the 1st world seem stupid once you have walked with someone who lives in a 3rd world. I appreciate how God is challenging me and I want to hang on to the things I learned in Zambia but I fear that as fresh as it is in my mind now; it will fade. Let's work together to end the complaining.
Need more convincing?
What are you complaining about?
Monday, November 26, 2012
A coffin
Children's hospital visit in Zambia
As we walked into the preemie ward I saw a tiny baby laying on a blanket being examined by the nurses. The nurses seemed rough as they handled the naked baby. The baby was so small and motionless almost like a doll. There was a woman sitting on a bench behind the nurses, she was sitting all alone and weeping. The nurses rolled the motionless baby back onto her back and continued to talk in their language. Was I seeing things or did the chest rise and fall? I was not certain. The woman on the bench must be the mother, it felt odd that she was sitting alone. I went to her and gave her a new baby blanket my mother had made, then I sat down not sure what to say or do so I put my arm around her and began to whisper prayers for her and her child. I wept with her as I began to see that her baby was not alive. I felt helpless in the face of her immense pain. The nurses were done their examination quickly and the tiny body was wrapped up and carried out with the mother following; new blanket in-hand. It is the tradition of the Zambians to bury a baby in a new blanket. When the blanket gift was sewn, transported 1/2 way around the world and carried into the children's hospital the thought never crossed my mind that it would be a coffin for a baby. Some things you can't prepare for.
As we walked into the preemie ward I saw a tiny baby laying on a blanket being examined by the nurses. The nurses seemed rough as they handled the naked baby. The baby was so small and motionless almost like a doll. There was a woman sitting on a bench behind the nurses, she was sitting all alone and weeping. The nurses rolled the motionless baby back onto her back and continued to talk in their language. Was I seeing things or did the chest rise and fall? I was not certain. The woman on the bench must be the mother, it felt odd that she was sitting alone. I went to her and gave her a new baby blanket my mother had made, then I sat down not sure what to say or do so I put my arm around her and began to whisper prayers for her and her child. I wept with her as I began to see that her baby was not alive. I felt helpless in the face of her immense pain. The nurses were done their examination quickly and the tiny body was wrapped up and carried out with the mother following; new blanket in-hand. It is the tradition of the Zambians to bury a baby in a new blanket. When the blanket gift was sewn, transported 1/2 way around the world and carried into the children's hospital the thought never crossed my mind that it would be a coffin for a baby. Some things you can't prepare for.
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
2 days till Zambia
So there are a few things I want to say before I leave.
If I die DO NOT serve raisin buns at the funeral and make it a PARTY 'cause I'll be in Heaven... ok so I don't plan on dieing, no more talking like that.
So in 2 days I leave for Zambia, Africa, I'll be with 9 other amazing people. We will either love each other or hate each other by the end of the 2 weeks we are together. I vote for love! After some 2 odd days of flying/waiting/flying/waiting/flying/busing we will arrive and be exhausted but we will recover and we will.....
-meet our sponsor kids
-tutor the kids at Grace Academy
-visit hospitals and bring care kits
-celebrate a big Christmas with the children
-go on ministry trips with the kids from Grace
-enjoy the children's company
-break for the things that God's heart breaks for
-rejoice with the things that bring joy to God
...and then we will return home with changed worldviews and Godviews and selfviews.
Pray for me that I will stay healthy, learn of God and be able tobe blessed and bless others as I go.
If I die DO NOT serve raisin buns at the funeral and make it a PARTY 'cause I'll be in Heaven... ok so I don't plan on dieing, no more talking like that.
So in 2 days I leave for Zambia, Africa, I'll be with 9 other amazing people. We will either love each other or hate each other by the end of the 2 weeks we are together. I vote for love! After some 2 odd days of flying/waiting/flying/waiting/flying/busing we will arrive and be exhausted but we will recover and we will.....
-meet our sponsor kids
-tutor the kids at Grace Academy
-visit hospitals and bring care kits
-celebrate a big Christmas with the children
-go on ministry trips with the kids from Grace
-enjoy the children's company
-break for the things that God's heart breaks for
-rejoice with the things that bring joy to God
...and then we will return home with changed worldviews and Godviews and selfviews.
Pray for me that I will stay healthy, learn of God and be able tobe blessed and bless others as I go.
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