Sunday, March 18, 2012

Joyfully Sharing Words

What is the word I am looking for here?
Hm.....

Papa, in His sweet grace, gave me a fresh boost of joy this week.  He knew that I was drooping a little thanks to being in the grip of the cold from the land of misery.
I am trying to put a name to the role that He revealed to me.

In scanning the dictionary the closest I came was wordy.
Heaven knows I can be that at times.
(Ask my family and friends, if you doubt this.)

However, wordy doesn't fit in this instance.

It seems I will have to create my own.

Word-sharer.
Or....
Word-scatterer.

Oh wait!  How about Bearer of Words of Good News?!

As anyone who is a regular reader of this blog knows I love to read.
I also love to share those books that have touched my heart.

All kinds of books, as you also know.
Many genres are represented.

Those books often stir the hearts of those to whom I pass them on.

On Jesus and my adventure with One Thousand Gifts quite a few hearts are moved by Ann Voskamp's words.
Though my book club's review was not that favorable, mostly because of the writer's style, each and every person that read even part of it was changed or challenged in some way!  And all for the better!
Papa is so wise!

This book is now in the hands of a lovely lady that has been weighed down by grief for too many years of her life. 
I received an email not long after she had begun the read.  The note was to thank me for sharing such a healing, refreshing, liberating book.
Is Papa wise or what??

One of my favorite people is listening to my copy of C S Lewis' series The Chronicles of Narnia on CD right now.
She is gaining a fresh view of our beautiful Savior.  While listening one day He gave her a glimpse of Himself.
Papa's grace and wisdom just makes my heart skip and my feet want to join in!

My son Matt and I share the love of anything written by Stephen Lawhead.  Our all-time favorite is his masterful work, Byzantium.  It follows the adventure of an apprentice monk.  He is taken from the simple life of the monastery out into the world.  As he travels, so does the spread of Christianity.  In both we see the Hand of the LORD.
Faith and God's faithfulness shape him and the world around him.

My friend who holds this book, at the moment, began to read very reluctantly. 
At one point he remembers wondering why he was bothering to read it.
Then the story captured him.

We spent time on the phone the other day while he shared how the book had gripped him, though he doesn't yet know exactly why.  He barely could get the words out for the emotion behind them.
Did I say how Papa's grace and wisdom delight me??!!

It is so much fun to not only share a book with a friend, but to be party to them being touched by our Living God.  It is a joy!

Some might wonder why this so excites me.
Let me share an experience I had the other day as way of explanation.

As usual my i-pod was plugged in while I was driving.
And as usual it was set on random.

Besides an album of Max McClean reading the book of Revelation, I also have one that he put together for Christmas.
It is appropriate for every season of the year.

His voice is deep and would lend itself to Shakespearean works very easily.  I wish I could play it here for you.

The selection that began to play was Max quoting from the Book of Matthew, the Twenty-seventh Chapter.
"Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?'  They all said, 'Let Him be crucified!'  And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves.'  And all the people answered and said, 'His blood be on us and on our children!'  Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified.  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.  And they stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him.  And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'  And they spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.  And after they had mocked Him, they took His robe off and put His garments on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him....Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.  and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?' that is, 'MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?'...And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit."
The selection ended and a song was next:
"What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!  What wondrous love is this, O my soul!  What wondrous love is this that caused the LORD of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul."
I do not believe any other words are necessary.

No comments:

Post a Comment