God’s Scarf

As Shelly and I went to try on our costumes as bell ringers for pageant, I noticed how classy she looked in her all black with a red scarf displaying a bling emblazoned cross. “Shelly, this would be a great costume for us as bell ringers. Where did you get that scarf?” She said, “My daughter gave it to me for Christmas last year. She bought it at a kiosk at the mall. I am going shopping today, I will see if I can find them.” In anticipation, I waited for Shelly’s text to say she found the scarves, but she never sent it. I text her late on Saturday night, “Did you find it?” My heart heard disappointment in her text, “No, but I have one more place I can check on Monday. I went everywhere, but no one carries them.” Both of us resolved that it would not be. It never occurred to me to ask God to join us in this endeavor—a scarf did not register on the spiritual radar in my mind.

On Monday morning, I went to teach my last lesson for the year at the Open Door Mission. My two prayer partners, Kim, Beth and I went out to the cars after to exchange our Christmas presents. Beth gave to every person at the mission an ornament that she personally handcrafted. “I made Christmas ornaments for ya’ll, too.” As she handed me a second gift she continued, “As I walked out the door this morning to come, I heard God say in my heart, ‘Go get the scarves!’ I told Him, ‘But, I will be late.’ I heard clearly, ‘Go get the scarves! So, I went back in and pulled these out of the closet for you.” I was clueless at this point, but when I opened my present, I started to scream and cry. Shelly wore the exact scarf on Saturday. It was a perfect match! As I told Beth and Kim the story, we all jumped up and down in the parking lot delighting in how God takes care of little details. Kim said, “God did this so you would know that His ways are not our ways. He wanted you to know how much He loves you.” I stood overwhelmed by the amazing power of God and at the faithfulness of Beth to listen and obey Him. I said, “We need a total of four! Do you by chance have two more?” Beth nodded her head, “Yes, I do! I have two more in the closet at home! That kiosk was ours. We didn’t open it this year.”

Beloved, do you ever wonder if God sees your needs? He cares deeply about the details of our lives… even the desire for a red scarf with a bling emblazoned cross! My beloved Kim reminded Beth and I that the reason she loves serving in prayer ministry births out of these moments. She waits with expectation to see how God will move and every week the three of us see His hand move in our behalf or in the life of another at the mission. The LORD surprised me this time. I have asked Him to shock and amaze me in my day, but I never knew it could be in this way. I watch with great expectation daily, but this one totally took me by surprise because it was an insignificant detail. In the scheme of spiritual matters, it really did not matter, yet the LORD knew one of His children needed a delightful surprise. If you see me walking around at Christmas, take time to notice my God scarf! It will forever more symbolize to me the value of listening to God and obeying His voice in order to join Him in His ways!

This photo is from a garden in front of a house that Chris and Donna took us to deliver food. It is hand dug by the men.

Walking in the Garden
Chapter 6
By: Tara Rye
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

There is nothing more enjoyable than walking through a garden with your loved one or with one precious to you. Somehow, their presence enhances the experience. It is the shared joy of celebrating the planting or harvest together. I recently went on a field trip with my son touring Lauritzen’s Gardens. Grant and I both could not wait to take Greg and Mikayla to see the mini replica garden of Omaha made out of twigs and leaves. We think nothing of asking another to come along and celebrate a garden’s beauty, but what if the garden held danger like risky terrain or snakes in the grass? Would we still be willing to invite another to come along? In many respects, a missionary is the one who takes another by the hand to walk them through a particular garden to cultivate what has already been sowed by another or to reap the planting. Often their places of service—their garden is dangerous or risky at best. Missionaries Chris and Donna Mooney of Bethel Ministries International takes about fifteen teams a year by the hand to walk them through the garden in Guatemala. They do not stop at just walking the people through. They hand each person a tool and say, Get to work! Plants don’t grow by just looking at them. It takes love and hard work to cultivate a rich and bountiful harvest! In the summer of 2008, a team from our church had the privilege of being taken by the hand to walk and serve in the garden with the Mooney’s. One afternoon while our team dug out the ground to lay a house, Chris picked up an old fashioned pick and hoe combination and started to give us a sermon while he broke hard chunks of earth. “You know this hoe and pick is a lot like the LORD. He has to break up the hardness in us to make us soft for planting.” I paused in my labor to ponder what he said and without thinking I blurted out our theme verse, Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12 (NIV). Chris turned and looked at me and laughed! I discovered as the days unfolded I was going to love that laugh as we toured the garden with this couple because the LORD reminded me that the purest laughter often comes from great depths of pain. Through the simplicity and purity of their ministry in a land scarcely loved by man our team saw Jesus in Guatemala.