Before my sister's death, she was hospitalized for more than a week and we all knew there were things to be done, things to be said and practical help needed. Her family, including friends and friends of friends bonded together in this mission of love. Some family members called and gave love, some gave the children rides, some watched the kids, some cooked, some visited Luann, some comforted her husband, still others prayed or lit candles. These people formed a bond of protection around Luann and her family. It didn't matter to anyone if their job seemed too small or that it loomed large - we all just came together, physically and mentally in support and in love.
At Luann's death, her family wove an ever-tightening bond around her husband and children. We wanted to protect them, to be with them, to remember Luann and to share our own perspectives of who she was. What I found was that no two people shared the same perception. None of us knew the whole of Luann, but we each knew in part. We could form a general picture of who she was: a kind-hearted, gracious, gentle woman who loved her husband and children passionately and cared about the important things. And, as a whole, that's a pretty good picture to hold onto. But we also each have our own picture, formed by our time with her, our memories, our own experiences. Each of us had a brushstroke or two in this picture of her. And when we came together, those brushstrokes painted a more vivid picture, a brighter picture, a community picture of who she was. And I love her more looking at that picture.
And so it is with church, the body of Christ. We come together as a family with a mission, a mission to love God and to serve Him. Some of us teach, some learn, some preach, some serve, some cook, some call, some listen, some pray. Some of us make friends easily, some don't. Some are not as confident in their beliefs, some are. We form this bond of people striving to worship God.
It doesn't matter if our "job" seems small or looms large. We all just come together because we have this bond of faith.
As individuals, we each have our own view of who God is, who Jesus is to us. I've found that no two people share the same view of who He is. None of us know the whole of Jesus, but we can each know in part. We can paint an abstract of Him as a loving, merciful, all-knowing, all-seeing God and that picture is awesome. But as with Luann, we each have our picture of Him, too - created by our own time with Him, our own experiences,the gifts He has given to us. Each of us has a brushstroke or two in this picture of who God is. And when we come together... Oh, when we come together, that picture of Jesus is so much brighter, so much clearer, so much bigger than I ever could have imagined with just my own relationship with Him. And we love Him more because of it.
Do you want to know someone more? See someone more clearly? Do you want to see Jesus as He really is? Then come together as a family and remember His faithfulness, share your story, love deeply as brothers and sisters, serve one another. Those brushstrokes will paint a work of art, a masterpiece.
Ephesians 4:11-16
At Luann's death, her family wove an ever-tightening bond around her husband and children. We wanted to protect them, to be with them, to remember Luann and to share our own perspectives of who she was. What I found was that no two people shared the same perception. None of us knew the whole of Luann, but we each knew in part. We could form a general picture of who she was: a kind-hearted, gracious, gentle woman who loved her husband and children passionately and cared about the important things. And, as a whole, that's a pretty good picture to hold onto. But we also each have our own picture, formed by our time with her, our memories, our own experiences. Each of us had a brushstroke or two in this picture of her. And when we came together, those brushstrokes painted a more vivid picture, a brighter picture, a community picture of who she was. And I love her more looking at that picture.
And so it is with church, the body of Christ. We come together as a family with a mission, a mission to love God and to serve Him. Some of us teach, some learn, some preach, some serve, some cook, some call, some listen, some pray. Some of us make friends easily, some don't. Some are not as confident in their beliefs, some are. We form this bond of people striving to worship God.
It doesn't matter if our "job" seems small or looms large. We all just come together because we have this bond of faith.
As individuals, we each have our own view of who God is, who Jesus is to us. I've found that no two people share the same view of who He is. None of us know the whole of Jesus, but we can each know in part. We can paint an abstract of Him as a loving, merciful, all-knowing, all-seeing God and that picture is awesome. But as with Luann, we each have our picture of Him, too - created by our own time with Him, our own experiences,the gifts He has given to us. Each of us has a brushstroke or two in this picture of who God is. And when we come together... Oh, when we come together, that picture of Jesus is so much brighter, so much clearer, so much bigger than I ever could have imagined with just my own relationship with Him. And we love Him more because of it.
Do you want to know someone more? See someone more clearly? Do you want to see Jesus as He really is? Then come together as a family and remember His faithfulness, share your story, love deeply as brothers and sisters, serve one another. Those brushstrokes will paint a work of art, a masterpiece.
Ephesians 4:11-16
Beautiful illustration, Terri. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteA masterpiece about the One who is a Masterpeice.
ReplyDelete