I wanted to write this last night, but I only had 26k of speed... :P
Life has been crazy these past few weeks, and tt seems that the past three sermons I've heard in my life have been causing me to question my Christianity. I hear the parable of the lost sheep (the one where the shepherd leaves 99 of his sheep to go and find the lost one--telling how great Jesus' love is for his sheep)--and I find myself identifying with the 99 "other sheep" who are wondering "Where the heck is my shepherd?" instead of the sheep Jesus went to find.
Yesterday I went home to sing for the "Cornerstone Crisis Pregnancy Center" Gala. I stopped off at Ms. Diane's house before I went on to my house to get ready and sing. She and I were meeting once a week this summer, and now it's down to once a month since I am back at school. We usually meet at Panera, but this time we met at her house. She brought Panera goodies, and we had tea in teapots shaped like a clock and a pig :) We always have tea at her house. We also had this AMAZING blueberry creamer to flavor the tea.
I sang at the banquet, and I found a box sitting on my chair. I just assumed it was a complimentary gift for me for singing at the banquet. However, when I saw Ms.Diane afterward she said "open it!" (Meaning, it came from her :P). Inside was one of her favorite gold-rimmed tea cups with its saucer, a matching plate, and a bottle of the blueberry creamer. There was also a note that simply read "you are loved".
Warm tears brimmed in my eyes.
Why did that mean so much? Because she freely gave me things that were of great value to her. She loves teacups and saucers (and the blueberry creamer is a limited edition :P), but she wanted me to know that I am loved more than teacups and saucers (and blueberry creamer, limited edition :P).
Sacrificial giving communicates love so much more than just giving what we don't care about anymore.
Yesterday I went home to sing for the "Cornerstone Crisis Pregnancy Center" Gala. I stopped off at Ms. Diane's house before I went on to my house to get ready and sing. She and I were meeting once a week this summer, and now it's down to once a month since I am back at school. We usually meet at Panera, but this time we met at her house. She brought Panera goodies, and we had tea in teapots shaped like a clock and a pig :) We always have tea at her house. We also had this AMAZING blueberry creamer to flavor the tea.
I sang at the banquet, and I found a box sitting on my chair. I just assumed it was a complimentary gift for me for singing at the banquet. However, when I saw Ms.Diane afterward she said "open it!" (Meaning, it came from her :P). Inside was one of her favorite gold-rimmed tea cups with its saucer, a matching plate, and a bottle of the blueberry creamer. There was also a note that simply read "you are loved".
Warm tears brimmed in my eyes.
Why did that mean so much? Because she freely gave me things that were of great value to her. She loves teacups and saucers (and the blueberry creamer is a limited edition :P), but she wanted me to know that I am loved more than teacups and saucers (and blueberry creamer, limited edition :P).
Sacrificial giving communicates love so much more than just giving what we don't care about anymore.