When we have eyes to see, God gives us
glimpses of His love and joy and deep sacrifice. The afternoon was spent in
laughter and adventure and a visual I may never get out of my head. As Laura
was eating snacks she used two of the crackers to make duck bills, it was
hilarious and all the girls got into the act. Then the very next morning, those same crackers were used for
communion. I got the giggles to think of the visual of the night before, then a
joyful smile as I felt prompted by God. I felt Him saying... “I will use the
foolish things to bring glory to me. I will use the simple and the ordinary to
bring not only joy and laughter, but also to cause you to remember the depths
of my love.” Through the ordinary and simple, (communion) many will remember my
love. And through the simple and ordinary things (me), He will fulfil His
Purposes. 
That morning’s worship was lead by the youngest
of our group, who chose a song that has touched her heart recently, “man of
sorrows”. It touched the older hearts in the room, in its words and sentiment
as the song is also almost “hymn-like”, yet with the youngest, almost celtic
voice (as described by one of the older ladies), her voice brought all ages
together in worship to Him. There is nothing more beautiful than when the ages
collide together and draw close to him. Age, gender, culture, upbringing,
whether your have more or have very little, it is irrelevant in this space.
As we discovered throughout weekend, for
some their childhood was full of wonderful memories, for some there were no
positive memories at all. But for ALL their childhood was significant, and
whether their family brought pain or joy, all was important to who they are
now. For ALL, there was a time in their life, many of them when they were
young, where God broke in and changed them forever. For me it was the
consistent reminder of how family is a key influence for everyone. I long to
see families thrive and be all that Christ desires for them. Pope Francis says
“the home is the domestic church.” This particular weekend was the bringing
together of the “females” in a number of domestic churches, and as we joined
together there was harmony, peace, joy, acceptance and stretching.
The gift of the elders in our community is
that they get the value of being, they understand the depth of God’s love and
they live in a way that it naturally overflows from them. The gift of the young
girls in our community is that they bring joy and passion and energy. They are
empowered to question and share and they know how to really listen when wisdom
speaks, and they were open. The gift of our community is that there is freedom,
respect and true value and acceptance. Here God is at work. Is there any better
way to spend a weekend?
My answer is YES, for when something is so
wonderful, I ache for those who have never experienced this kind of love and
acceptance across the ages in God’s presence. I long to see more and more
households and people see that nothing is more Important. I believe God longs
for this to be more than a couple of days a year, but for it to be every day, as
we walk with HIM and together in TRUE community,
The sadness is that many choose NOT to walk
in true community ... and they miss out.
We finished the weekend by asking the
question - Is this the life-pattern you want for yourself? And how does this
life-pattern affect those close to you?
My continual prayer is “How can I be a part
of a movement that helps others see that within the busyness of life and the
distractions that are ever present, nothing else matters but walking with HIM
and others.
As God simply commands us.....
“Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your
mind and Love your neighbour as yourself” Luke 10:27
No comments:
Post a Comment