Generosity: receive and reflect

I love to listen to her song, especially in church.  She was once so sick I thought she would be silenced forever, but now, she stands beside me healthy, for no reason except the undeserved mercy of God. And she sings. She receives what He gives with delight and innocence, and she replies with song, even when she doesn't quite understand the words.

One day we sang "God moves in mysterious ways."  She sang those words, then she whispered to me, "You mean like this?" and she shook her hips and waggled her arms right there in the pew.  I got the giggles for the rest of the service. 

Last sunday in church we read about Elijah and the widow 1 Kings 17:7-16

As I listened to the widow's story, I kept thinking with amazement how she must have emptied her stores, every single day, and found them refreshed again the next day, every time.  What was that like?

I imagine the first time she made the cakes, she probably ate with mixed feelings.  Faith moved her to mix the dough, and to share, but faith does not extinguish all wrestlings, all human feelings and worries.  She may have yet wondered if this was really her last meal.  She may have second-guessed herself, wondering if she should have said no, should have held something back.  She may have wondered if God would really keep death away. Would He really fill the jars again? Would He really provide as He promised?

On the second day, I imagine she made the cakes with more confidence, with less fear, and a not little bit of joy.  It is amazing, when God provides. It is a joy to be His child, to be given something unexpected, free, and exactly what is needed in the moment.

Did she come to expect it? Did it get easier to trust God as He proved His faithfulness to her, time and time again?  Did she open her hand gladly, knowing that whatever she shared with one hand would soon enough be given back in the other?

Her story reminded me of Grace upon Grace, when Dr. Kleinig implores us to live lives that "receive God's goodness and reflect His generosity."

Receive His goodness,
reflect His generosity.

How's that for a mission statement for the Christian life?

What does this look like, exactly?  When I read those worse, I think of my most unusual child: the extremely generous one.  This child loves a bag of Skittles, but more than that, she loves giving Skittles away. She loves making money, and she spends it all quickly, but on the most undeserving of her siblings, and rarely on herself.  A bag of Hershey Kisses makes her happy if she eats them, but not near as happy as she feels when she leaves kisses on our pillows in secret.

Her smile comes to mind, every time I think of "cheerful giving."
You know what else?  She is also amazing at the art of "cheerful receiving."

When God gives a spring day for bouncing on the trampoline, she bounces, and sings, too, and notices the flowers and the blue sky and the birds, and she thanks Him for it.  When God gives her chocolate milk, she drinks it down to the last drop.  In church, she sings hymns with loud voice and full heart.  

Fill up, give thanks, pour out, give thanks, repeat. 

This is the example of the widow, and my daughter, and so many others who live generously.

This is the life of faith, the freedom we have as children living under an open heaven, we who are loved by a generous God.  He did not spare His Own Son; surely He will provide for all of our needs. There is no need to hold back in fear. 

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ 

or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, 

and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Matthew 6:31-32 

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 

thanking God in remembrance

After a lovely visit to White Creek...

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 

always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 

And I am sure of this, 

that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 

It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, 

for you are all partakers with me of grace...

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more,with knowledge and all discernment, 

so that you may approve what is excellent, 

and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, 

to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:3-10

5 reasons I love Bible journaling

"Wherever love goes, there the heart and the body follow... 

Love itself will teach meditation... 

It is the mode and nature of all who love to chatter, 

sing, think, compose, and frolic freely 

about what they love and enjoy hearing about it." (Luther)

When God's Word breaks into a heart, things happen. 

Typically, for me, His Words go in, and my words pour out. But not lately.  The angle of the light here is different. I'm busier. I have too much to say, and not so much, and I am just tired. My world is still wonky, and I'm still readjusting after our move to Michigan.

But I've found another way to think and reflect and frolic. It's called Bible Journaling. 

I consider this type of journaling as a form of meditation: sloppy, imperfect, playing-with-paint prayer time.  And I do it with my kids. It has become, for me, another way to steep in Sundays.

5 reasons I love Bible Journaling

Meditation, but with paint
Bible Journaling is a way of dwelling on the Most Important Thing: Jesus

"Blessed are those who hear the Word and keep it." Luke 11:28

It is easy to hear only law in this passage.  As if Jesus were saying, obey, obey, OBEY you sinner, otherwise you have no part with me.  But He --the one who came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it-- gives this Word and all of His Words to us as a gift.

Keep my Word, my child. Treasure it. Carry it with you.  Receive from it life and hope and health.  Make your home in it.  Steep in it.  Let it color your world.  Let it remake your heart.

Chew on it. Think about it. Write, sing, or paint about it. Plaster it everywhere.

Memory Keeping

Once, God held me up with the perfect Word, the exact balm I needed for my particular ache. No, it was more than once, in fact, it happens so often that I can't remember every time.  I wish I could.  Remembering His faithfulness is good for the soul. Bible journaling can be a way for us to catch those moments of grace, and it will help us remember to remember them.

Discernment Practice

Yes, I've seen this practice abused. I've seen entire pages covered dark except the one verse, writ large, which taken out of context means something other than it really means. Musicians and writers do this all the time. Always, the Christian must pay attention, ask good questions, and remember context when handling God's Word. We cannot hide from the need to discern.  This practice has led to good conversations with my own children about the proper use of Scripture. 

Conversation
Combining creativity and Scripture, with others in the room, leads to some amazing conversation.  Instead of merely discussing brush techniques and ink quality (but we do that too, of course,) we also discuss particular Scriptures, and how God's Word has shined light right into our lives in unique ways.

Sharing the treasure

Illustrating and rewriting the precious words given to us naturally leads to sharing with others. "He withholds no good thing," I am told, and I needed to hear that.  I can think of others who might be uplifted by those words, too.  So, we make a copy. Write it on a note card. Pass it on. 

If you are interested in this, there are a million resources for the details, and I am only just learning them. Google "Bible journaling" or "Illustrated faith."  The Bible I use is an ESV with nice margins. Apparently this is quite a craze these days, so you may have to wait for it if you order one. If you're dying to start frolicking with paint and Scripture, just grab a piece of paper or a blank notebook and whatever supplies you have on hand.  Keep the Word of God, dwell on it, and let it spill out in pictures!

And now, here's a look into our Bible.

Inside the front cover: 

In the beginning, when I write a bit about priorities, respect, and grace.

My first entry. 

Those who sow in tears

    shall reap with shouts of joy!

6 

He who goes out weeping,

    bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

    bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126: 5-6)

An illustration from my daughter:

Response to the Good friday service:

A quick sketch:

Come, Lord Jesus... make all things new...

A nice verse. But I am not quite "adult" enough for black ink. 

Oh well, I guess the fingerprints are a memory too!

In memory of our Indiana home, and the church family there that has left a forever mark on our hearts. This was their theme verse for their 175th anniversary, celebrated last year.  The picture was inspired from a much more beautiful quilted church banner, made specially for the celebration.