You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of dust (gungor)
Well that is indeed the truth. He makes beautiful things.
I don't know how I can begin to tell of what God has done during the past three months, in me, for me, through me. Words fail, words eclipse His goodness, His greatness, His powerful was, His humility, He love entirely. And yet, I can talk to Him as though He is a best friend, because well, He is.
As it is Christmas I will share some simple thoughts I've encountered, most likely provoked by my time in Africa and by the incredible people out there. Also by the incredible people here.
The kingdom of God...is like so many things. It is like a mustard seed. Isn't it like a man who did this or that? I can't remember exactly, search the gospels and you'll get what I mean. It is a topsy turvy kingdom, by this world's standards anyhow, because it belongs to children and the rich find it difficult to enter. The beautiful kingdom; reigned by a King who hangs out with prostitutes, touches the dirty and needy and shocks religion by doing stuff they say He shouldn't. Ha, He does stuff I think He shouldn't. But He is patient. The kingdom of heaven probably doesn't really look like anything we think it should...not really. I was thinking about this today, and something Heidi always talked about was going low and slow. There is no better example of humility and lowliness than the Christ. Jesus, the messiah of the earth, The Lord of our salvation came low, He came to us and was born firstly into questionable circumstances (for those who doubted the virgin birth), in a nation much stricter and more oppressive towards women than ours. That kinda blows my mind, because I'm sure even in those days people liked to talk. It blows my mind that Jesus would risk even to take on the challenge of being looked upon in society as an illegitimate child. The pure, holy God would do that for us. The humility Christ had to be dependent upon a woman to care for Him, that He had to learn to walk and talk, and do everything through the power of the Holy Spirit as opposed to what He had known previously in heaven (because to be a man fully He could do what He did only through the spirit)... He took on so many limitations to become like us. The humility He carried took Him to the hearts of broken people. That He would give His earthly body for us to eat and drink that we need never want for anything. That is love.
Maybe I don't explain this very well, but I am moved in my heart by my amazing father who sent His beautiful son into the arms of ragamuffins like me so that I can enter the kingdom.
So I'll end with my favourite words to sum up Christmas:
Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
May you know His love and passionate pursuit for you.
I don't know how I can begin to tell of what God has done during the past three months, in me, for me, through me. Words fail, words eclipse His goodness, His greatness, His powerful was, His humility, He love entirely. And yet, I can talk to Him as though He is a best friend, because well, He is.
As it is Christmas I will share some simple thoughts I've encountered, most likely provoked by my time in Africa and by the incredible people out there. Also by the incredible people here.
The kingdom of God...is like so many things. It is like a mustard seed. Isn't it like a man who did this or that? I can't remember exactly, search the gospels and you'll get what I mean. It is a topsy turvy kingdom, by this world's standards anyhow, because it belongs to children and the rich find it difficult to enter. The beautiful kingdom; reigned by a King who hangs out with prostitutes, touches the dirty and needy and shocks religion by doing stuff they say He shouldn't. Ha, He does stuff I think He shouldn't. But He is patient. The kingdom of heaven probably doesn't really look like anything we think it should...not really. I was thinking about this today, and something Heidi always talked about was going low and slow. There is no better example of humility and lowliness than the Christ. Jesus, the messiah of the earth, The Lord of our salvation came low, He came to us and was born firstly into questionable circumstances (for those who doubted the virgin birth), in a nation much stricter and more oppressive towards women than ours. That kinda blows my mind, because I'm sure even in those days people liked to talk. It blows my mind that Jesus would risk even to take on the challenge of being looked upon in society as an illegitimate child. The pure, holy God would do that for us. The humility Christ had to be dependent upon a woman to care for Him, that He had to learn to walk and talk, and do everything through the power of the Holy Spirit as opposed to what He had known previously in heaven (because to be a man fully He could do what He did only through the spirit)... He took on so many limitations to become like us. The humility He carried took Him to the hearts of broken people. That He would give His earthly body for us to eat and drink that we need never want for anything. That is love.
Maybe I don't explain this very well, but I am moved in my heart by my amazing father who sent His beautiful son into the arms of ragamuffins like me so that I can enter the kingdom.
So I'll end with my favourite words to sum up Christmas:
Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
May you know His love and passionate pursuit for you.