Yesterday I wrote a poem about an acorn. See, I like to take pictures of things that often go unnoticed - like green, unripe acorns held in the boughs of mighty oak trees. Unnoticed because of size, because of the canopy of leaves, because of the camouflaging color. This one stood out when I looked back with the advantage of my computer's full screen. So I wrote a poem.
It really was about the acorn. And about the acorn's future - from summer to fall. And about the splendor of autumn colors. And finally, about that summer acorn held closely in the branches of the oak.
But it was also a metaphor of time and purpose. It is summer now; the acorn is forming and growing. It will be fall when the acorn will drop to the ground below and seed - a new tree in the making. But the acorn is in the now.
It was also a metaphor for our lives... We live protected and young. Then we grow older and wiser. We save up and then shower the world around us in gratitude for the blessings in our lives. As youngsters, we look forward to the party, but we are still protected and young.
Then I wrote a story about a young girl who didn't know that she was someone else's mission. It was about a young girl who wanted to help others in need, not knowing that she, indeed, was one that others thought in need. It was a true story, one I don't have an answer for. Is it wrong to BE the mission when you want to DO the mission?
My daughter and I have come up against this issue at our church. My daughter has Down Syndrome and the church hosts a Friendship Group class for differently-abled adults in the community. It is an appropriate class. However, when the class chose to help out on Mission Sunday, they surprised many of the members. The members didn't know what to do with this group of adults - because they perceived my daughter's class as a 'mission'.
What's the relationship between the acorn and the story?
Who is the unnoticed, camouflaged and small? Who is protected and young, perhaps ignoring their purpose? Who needs to live in their own skin, in their own time - appreciating the now and letting the future take care of itself?
So, here's the God moment. I had no idea if there was a relationship between the two as I wrote yesterday. But I trusted that God did. Why else would they both be on my heart? Is it possible, that the message is we can be more than one thing at the same time? Can we be both the present AND the promise of the future? Can we be both the mission AND the missioner? Can we be both the seed AND the tree - the child AND the adult? Look at the passage that I included - I am just now seeing the connection...
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
We are God's handiwork - Created in Christ Jesus - Prepared in Advance
Amazing God!
Linking With: Unite, Thriving Thursdays
