God's Unique and Diverse Creation

I live in a unique community where every home is different from the others. The exteriors are unique: brick, stone, or stucco, different paint colors, and lots of variations of floor plans. It's not a "cookie-cutter" community where the homes are the same. Our landscaping, with various flowers, trees, bushes, plants and rock formations are different. It's one of the reasons why we love living here.

Those of us who live here are also very different. Some still work full time, part time, or are retired. There are singles and marrieds. We come from various walks of life: attorneys, doctors, farmers, nurses, teachers, engineers, and everything in between. It's great hearing about our diversities that we all bring to our community family table.

God, in His brilliant creative genius gave this world such beauty in diversity. He started it all at creation. Imagine a garden, filled with flowers, but every flower was the same color, same leaves, same fragrance. Just sameness. Wouldn't that just be monotonous? But God created this world, AND mankind, that included you and me, with such splendid and spectacular diversity.

This time of year, we witness the most beautiful gardens that are blossoming with richness of diversity. Bright yellows, reds, deep purples and blues. In the same way, His kids, you and me, exemplify the beauty of diversity. We are male and female, tall and short, full bodied and slim bodied, dark skin and light skin. God's kids are so beautifully diverse.

The amazing truth, no matter what we look like, is that we are all equally important. We need the quiet janitor who cleans the bathrooms and sweeps the floor as much as we need the leader on the stage who speaks with wisdom. We need the outgoing and confident leader as much as need the quiet introvert.

Most of all, we need each other. We need the encouragers, the givers, the servers, the teachers, those who will take charge and lead and we need those who are so willing to be followers and to be led. Just think how wonderful this world would be if we all just understood God's unique love for His creation -- diverse, yet all so loved. Maybe we should start recognizing each other as equally and uniquely important and loved by Father God. As for you and me? He wants us NOT to be different from Him. He wants us to BE LIKE HIM -- spreading His love to the rest of the family.

"What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it–we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.” – 1 John 3:1

Serving God Right From the Start

Day 307 of Photo Inspirations -- Serving God Right From the Start
Of course my photo inspiration today is my precious godson's "first" time to serve at church.  I teared up as I witnessed this precious boy serving our Lord and His people.  This same boy that had such a rough start in life because of several health issues, is thriving in every way imaginable.  Way back in the beginning, we knew "what the enemy meant for evil, God would turn for good!"  We called him a champ.   He has so many abilities that cause us to know God's hand is mighty and strong upon him.

Being an altar server means helping the priest and deacon by carrying the candles and the cross and holding the prayer book.  But, it's even more than that. They're actually assisting in leading worship. For all of us, our worship on earth reflects the worship in heaven. What we do here in worshipping God, is sort of a distant echo of what goes on in heaven. There, the saints and angels worship around the throne of the Lamb.  And, we represent and reflect on earth the heavenly host as we worship God here.  That's a pretty hefty order to represent the saints and angels, but God has called us to be "holy people".   Okay, I know we're not saints OR angels, but we have a role to play in divine worship.  We are called to reflect something....or better yet....SOMEONE greater. He asks us to come and worship just as we are.

When I saw my godson yesterday, I thought about little Samuel, in the Bible (1 Samuel 3) who served in the temple of God.  As Owen processed down the aisle, I saw him as a young leader in the making.   All eyes were on him as he lit the candles.  His reverence and care and love for what he did was communicated to us and it caused me to rejoice. Throughout the service, he sat so reverently, listening to the scriptures and sermon so intently.  I couldn't help but think about his destiny. Yesterday, he started his leadership -- a servant of the King. Little David started as a shepherd boy, then served King Saul.  Eventually, he became King David. Isn't that how we should be envisioning our children?  Is it too far fetched to be vision-casting that our kids will be world changers?  I know anything is possible with God.  

I like to think my little, but mighty godson started his servant leadership yesterday, and  I pray that he will forever be God's servant leader.  Then, I know, that throughout his life, He'll be blessed.  And, so, as we become servants leaders.... regardless of our age or position, we, too, wiil be blessed!