Matching Dresses

I've written before about the way Marsha was a little obsessive compulsive. She would make an item of clothing in one color and if she liked it, every color had to follow. The picture to the right is not about that compulsion. Marsha was so proud of her family. In the picture Bekah and gramma are dressed alike. That was only one way of Marsha saying she's with me. We all stood in Marsha's spotlight. Sometimes the spotlight showed the glow of achievement and sometimes the stains on our life, but we all stood in Marsha's spotlight. Even when she wanted us to see the stains it was because she wanted everyone to see how wonderful her family was and didn't want people to disapprove of us. It was no surprise to me when she wanted young Dana to juggle, Merrie to sing, and she wanted me to do the whole celebration service. She always wanted people to notice her family. That all her grandchildren played a part in her service would have thrilled her. However, she couldn't save us from ourselves or from the bumps and bruises of the world. She would polish us up again and send us shiny once more into life, but she couldn't save us from troubles.

I think being part of God's family is like that. God wants to be with me like Marsha and Bekah in the picture, in fact God's presence is within us not beside us. God wants others to notice his family, all their gifts and talents and the wonderful things they do. He wants us to offer all our life's achievements at the service which celebrates his life. We don't have to perform them in church but he would love us to offer them in our hearts to him. He also shines us up and sends us back into life polished and beautiful without signs of our self induced scars or worldly bruises. Sometimes I can see God with his arm around me, like Marsha in the picture, holding me close and smiling not because I'm great but because I'm his. Thank you God for adopting me into your family. I love it here.