11 September 2007

Remember

On this day remember,
in the midst of a fantastic horror,
many gave so freely,
that others might live.

Remember their sacrifice and rejoice.

grateful,

jene'

07 September 2007

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

I can clearly remember the first time I read A Wrinkle in Time . I remember getting lost in the journey through the folds of time (A.K.A terrasects) in the search for Dr. Murray. The strange way Mrs Whatsist, Mrs Who and Mrs Which appeared.

I remember being enthralled in finding myself in such a fantastical universe. It was not until I read the book a second time at 14 that I understood all the Madeline L'Engle had to say. I truly cannot overcome Evil without my Father. Love can solve any problem. Great Light will sacrifice itself to conquer darkness.

As I grew up reading scripture I thought nothing out of place in finding verses being quoted by the main characters. It was for this reason her books were challenged. There were also those who disliked her inclusion of Buddha and Ghandi being listed along with Jesus as those who fought darkness on earth.

This story and all of her other writings hold a special place in my heart. I learned from her. I learned girls can be the "Hero" and be brave and bold. I learned that love does not make you weak, it makes you strong. I learned that questioning and reasoning are good things if they lead to understanding.

I will always be grateful for that.

-jene'

P.S. Mrs Who taught me to love Shakespeare

04 September 2007

Waiting tables

Lord. take me where you want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me what you want me to say;
and Keep me out of your way.

Father Mychal Judge


I stumbled across this prayer earlier this year. It says better than I ever could the desire of my heart. I love being open to God placing me where I can show His love to everyone. So many times people think sharing God's love with the world is something done only by missionaries in foreign countries.

Still, if you think about it, all those who follow Jesus are part of His Kingdom. So wherever you are on this earth, you are in a foreign country. You are a visitor from God's Kingdom to the world. You are the ambassador to everyone around you. Do you represent your Kingdom well? Do the people you meet know you are from afar? Do they know your Kingdom's benefits? Can you share with them your prime product?

I have had the opportunity of late to find myself with a lot of time to meditate on this. I love the fact that there are many I know I can be a tour guide for. I can share with them the love I have for my Kingdom and why it is the greatest place to belong to.

I have been reloading music onto my MP3 player lately and one old song from Take 6 seems to say just how I feel about sharing God's love.

The Best stuff in the world cafe

Time for lunch, my stomach said
I left the office to get fed
I had dined at every place on Main
My appetite was ripe for change.
And there stood this old restaurant
I had never seen before
And a stranger in an apron
Came bursting through the door and said

Welcome to the best stuff in the world today cafe
We are all believers in a better way
We were served as customers not so long ago
Now we are all waiters, thought you ought to know

Then the waiter said to me
"Everything we serve is free"
And when he saw that I was full of doubt
He shoved the best stuff in my mouth.
The food was so fantastic, man
I could not stay in my seat
I jumped up from the table
And dragged a stranger off the street
And said:

Welcome to the best stuff in the world today cafe
We are all believers in a better way
We were served as customers not so long ago
Now we are all waiters, thought you ought to know.

And if you're inclined to take the time
To show your gratitude
Then serve somebody else today
Like I've done for you.

Pretty soon the business went berserk
And all the people left their work
In every case because they took the time to serve
They each got more than they deserved.
The pantry soon was empty
And all that we could find
Was some simple bread and wine
But the people stood in line to say:

Welcome to the best stuff in the world today cafe
We are all believers in a better way
We were served as customers not so long ago
Now we are all waiters, thought you ought to know

So know you know the way I learned
That once the tables have been turned
It's just not enough to have your fill
Tip the waitress, pay the bill
When you can serve the banquet
That the world's so hungry for
So grab an waiter's apron
And see who's at the door And say:

Welcome to the best stuff in the world today cafe
We are all believers in a better way
We were served as customers not so long ago
Now we are all waiters, thought you ought to know.

When I first heard it it really touched my heart. It was so true. If you have been to the banquet you feel compelled to share it with everyone. It isn't enough to just feast at the banquet and let the rest of the world starve. If you can, you missed the gift of the banquet. You had dinner, you didn't find the feast.

The other night a grand friend and I were sharing dinner. We talked about being open to the people God places in your life. We shared our concern about several mutual friends who surround themselves only with Christians. How can they be happy when there is no one in their life they can pass along God's love to?

Glad to serve at the banquet table and staying out of God's way,

jene'