Giving Hay
I recently
got an SMS (text) from a friend. When I
read it, I smiled. Here’s what she wrote
(in German) … “How’s the Elledge Manger?”
Several
years ago, in fact so “several” that Addison may have been our only child, we
began a tradition called “giving hay” (performing anonymous acts of service)
for family members. For example, if I
made Libby’s bed, I would give her some “hay” (a small bundle of raffia) on her
pillow. Then, after the recipient
discovers the “hay”, they put it in a “crib” (in our case a basket … in former
years my Dad actually made us a life-sized crib). The goal is to collect enough “hay” to
prepare the way for the Baby Jesus to be born on Christmas Eve.
One ordinary
day over coffee I was telling my friend about this tradition. It was during our conversation that it dawned
on me: We (Elledge’s) haven’t “given hay”
in a really, really long time.
Feeling
recharged – by both the coffee, time with my friend, and my new found resolve
to reinstate the “hay” tradition – I began making little bundles of “hay” for
my friend and little bundles of “hay” for our family.
This week,
as I’ve been reading about the birth of this Baby Jesus, something hit me. In reading from a translation of the Bible
called, The Message, some new wording rocked my world. Most Bibles say that Mary conceived a child
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
However, in The Message version, it said that the baby in Mary’s womb
was Spirit conceived. Being a lover of
words, this one caught my attention.
Spirit conceived.
That’s when
it happened. I began to see how valuable
… how productive … how powerful … spirit conceived things are. If I take the liberty to apply this concept
of spirit conceived notions into my daily life, I get flat-out excited. Being a person who has a vivid imagination
and a wild love of all things literary, I have lots of idea that roam about …
run about … race about in my little head.
Few of those get put into action.
Still fewer get remembered.
However,
those that get into the final cut of life … if I allowed them to be filtered
through this idea of being spirit conceived … WOW. Shazzam!
How powerful could that be?!
Instead of acting on what I think is a good idea … I could opt for
acting on what I believe the spirit conceived idea is … and it being the best
idea!
That’s tricky,
isn’t it? It’s tricky trying to
determine what is spirit conceived, what are effects of bad pizza the night before,
and what it just our own self. But, I
really think Matthew gives us the key.
Spirit conceived ideas always last, has power, and bears some kind of fruit.
Allow me to
take the liberty to illustrate a spirit conceived idea that happened this
week. Walking through one of the busiest
U-Bahn stations (subway), Karlsplatz, I saw three young people begging. This is not uncommon. These young people were about 20, clearly
druggies and begging for money or cigarettes.
My heart went out to them. The
three looked like a strange band of weary travelers. Among this trio was a girl, not much older
than my Addie, who had bright eyes. She
was clearly the leader. There was a real
sweetness that lay underneath her punk hair cut and piercings in ears and nose. Her comrades were a short boy who was stoned
out of his mind and a tall fellow with a Mohawk and bloodshot eyes. When she approached me I told her the truth,
I truly had no cash on me … and to her dismay … no cigarettes either. Instead of acting rudely or pursuing me
further like most beggars often do, she threw up her hands and just said, “Schade,
aber Danke!” (Too bad but thank you!).
As I passed
them, I prayed. There was something
about this moment that I knew God wanted to me to pay close attention to. Literally a few minutes later, an elderly man
with a kind face was passing out cards to passerby’s. They were free but
most people do not want to be bothered.
I took one. When I looked down at
the print, it said: Gott kennen? (Know
God?)
This is
where I know it wasn’t bad pizza or my own self, but rather a terrifically,
wonderful, spirit conceived idea was taking shape. I knew I was to somehow go back to my little
band of weary beggars … but why? As I
rounded the corner I saw a McDonalds.
McDonalds takes Bank-o-mat (ATM) cards!!
I knew I was to feed them. I
bought a few hamburgers and a truck-load of French fries, tucked the “Gott kennen” card
into the bag and headed back toward my punk, stoned-out recipients. They were walking towards me, obviously not
having luck at hand-outs. When I
approached, leader girl recognized me and smiled.
I proceeded
to tell my little recipients that I was a follower of Jesus Christ. And, because I have a personal relationship
with him … I can freely speak to his Father, God. I told them that as I passed them, just a few
minutes ago, I knew that God had told me to feed them. I also told them that I did not lie to
them. I had no cash, but I did have a
Bank-o-mat and with my Bank-o-mat I purchased this food. Would they do me the honor of receiving my
small gift?
In that
moment, leader girl became my friend. As
I was telling my spirit conceived idea, she was responding. I touched her face. She grabbed my hand and kept my hand on her
face. I touched tall ones face. He lowered his head. Then, right there in the middle of crazed
looks from all the other “decent” passersby, leader girl asked me if she could
hug me. As she embraced me, it was hard
and long and I felt like her mother. I
pulled away … only to have her hug me all the tighter.
Spirit conceived.
How do I
know this? God made this very unlovable
trio of beggars precious to me. If the
truth be told, I wanted to take leader girl home with me and clean her up and
feed her chicken soup and let her sleep as long as she needed to.
I’m trusting
that as I walked away from my shocked new friends, God did something … spirit conceived
in them. For I know, oh how I know, that
my little spirit conceived idea of “giving hay” to this misfits did something in me!
Looking for more Spirit conceived ideas ...
Christina
2 comments
Christina,
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet story! I really appreciate your honesty and willingness to share your heart here. You often cause me to see God with new eyes and a bit more love.
Thanks!
Melissa Montoya
I just put my prayer box down, after lifting your family up and specifically you, when I opened this and read it. Not only did it seem as though He was speaking to me, saying "it IS worth it", but you, once again, have encouraged me to be still and listen. Thank you so much for your example and your obedience. I am honored to call you family. I love you!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am totally stealing the hay idea. That was also on my heart this morning...a way to make this season real in the midst of moving and unsettledness and busy-ness...and again, an answer. What a MIGHTY Father we serve!