Dreaming of Silver Roses

The house was large and rambling with lots of rooms. It was old and Victorian in it’s hey day. It had a solarium with two macaws as sentinels. There was an ancient Schnauzer on a large pillow by a sunny window.

It was a lovely warm airy home. More than a house, it was a well lived in and well loved home. The kitchen sported a long wood hewn table with low bench seats to serve the large family of six. The girls rooms were designed with Peter Rabbit and Rapunzel. There was a Lion and a Lamb on the formal dining room table. There was a white ballroom. Seriously. With an enorous pipe organ brought in to Texas orginally in the early 1900′s by wagon and horses! Beautiful doesn’t describe the rooms and the house itself…or the family.

I was invited with my children to a birthday party for the youngest daughter. It was simple fare, but the company and the surroundings were anything but! After the lunch, there was bubbles, badminton, a hand made see saw made from antique wagon wheels, an axle, and LONG thick painted boards, an old tall metal school yard slide, and a trampoline. My children were in hog heaven! But again while the activities were wonderous, the fellowship was so sweet that it left you breathless far more than the race down the cool high smooth metal slide.

This all sounds homey and common place and general. Until you realize that my family was surrounded by a family of a very different faith. I won’t say which because I think that is irrelevant. In the past I would have walked out or started in on a three part sermon outline or a quick trip down a “Roman Road” or other method. I am so proud that I have grown up and didn’t cram anything in where it didn’t belong. I prayed and waited for His moment. I know for some that is sacrilige and I should have seized or created a moment to share my beliefs. Again I praise the Lord that He has grown me enough to just enjoy the moment and to let Him take charge as He leads. There is common ground in our faiths, but more there is common ground in our belief in love, community, and family. There is common ground in love and the need for connection and relationships. We share literature passions. We share some music passions. We share humor. We share levels of education. We totally don’t share socio-economic brackets! BUT you couldn’t tell that. They live like we lower middle class blue collar workers do. I loved every second of the visit.

The mom was very open hearted and honest and up front about her faith. It was said and shared gently and with great respect. I shared a bit but I could feel the deep need in her to be listened to and to be loved as is. She didn’t want to be a holy fixer upper project. I pray that there will be other opportunities for learning and a deeper sharing.

I guess what mattered to me was two fold. That a relationship with them be kicked off well and maintained. I have heard growing up and even in various places lately the terms “contacts” or “prospects” or other labels dropped casually refering to someone visited or reached out to in the name of Jesus and it always has and will make me whince. They are people. P-E-O-P-L-E. They bleed when you cut them. Their hearts ache when they hit a crisis just like mine. They eat, love, laugh, cry, sleep, need, dream, want…are sacred human artworks designed in the image of a Divine Artist just like me and mine. I totally get that there are very firm and specific beliefs that I have about the Truth. I totally get that they have a different view and that if I am right and they are not that it could totally impact them in a desperate manner and that time is of the essence, but so is love. Love was on the line. I would hope and pray that had time been the main focus the Holy Spirit would have let me know. I had no desire to drive in hard and fast. I wanted to make a certain impression and leave an open door.

I guess for me it goes back to Mr. Ken Gire’s statement that you can view people two ways. You can sanctify them or objectify them. I want to see the holy in them not to use them to get where or what I want to even if what I want is about eternal beliefs. It’s not about stats or racking up a record or even advancing the kingdom to me. I have heard and even –ugh- used the phrase “led someone to Christ” – someone I deeply respect recently said to me, “April, the scripture says that the Spirit ‘draws’ you to Christ; He just uses me to share the information He needs for you to know”. I responded with an inner, “Ouch, right on.” That doesn’t trivialize or minimize my role it just glorifies His. It isn’t about anything I do or it isn’t about Him doing it. I take no credit. It’s about sharing the address with a family member to our home- to our Abba’s house. I tell them where “the Way” begins. That is all I do. I know to some that is a matter of semantics, but depending on which side of the words you are standing on it matters. No one wants to feel like an object or debate or a holy crusade. We want to be invited to share an experience or adventure. In this case in particular it will take lots of time, patience, love, openness, genuine love, concern, connection. But even if they don’t, even if they choose differently forever, I pray that they know that they were appreciated for sharing their home and love and friendship with me. I want my Father to know that I saw the beauty in the art He shared with me in them. It’s about respect. I know more about them in one afternoon than most of Terrell in five years. It was really a rich and beautiful experience. I am so thankful for that sacred moment.

1 John 4:9-11

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Colossians 2:2-3

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Filed under: Christianity, kids, life, relating well, relationships, wonder on April 14th, 2008