March 25th, 2022
Hello, friends! Today's devotion comes from Linda Babcock. Linda is a faithful member of our church who uses the gifts God has given her to enhance the ministries of our church. She is a dedicated church Treasurer and member of the Faithful Fingers ministry. We give thanks to God for Linda, her gifts, and her willingness to give us a devotion this week.
Blessings,
Reverend Dave
_________________________
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)
Isn’t it amazing to think that even before we were born, God prepared us for a special purpose? We were knit together by God in an intricate pattern and given the desire and the ability to do something unique that touches others. When your gifts and your dreams line up with God’s will for your life, what joy!
Before I was born, my mother (who attended high school during WWII) was knitting socks for soldiers and bandages for the Red Cross. When I came along and then my three brothers, she added baby hats, blankets and sweaters to her repertoire and over the years, she became a blue-ribbon knitter and even raised sheep and spun their wool. She spent many hours at the county fair demonstrating how to spin, and even went to local schools to show the children how it was done. She was excited to share her craft with me when I started knitting, too. Actually, she thought it was most amazing when I was able to go on the internet and print her some patterns to share with her knitting guild friends. Years later, when her life was celebrated, many of her beautiful creations were on display at the funeral and many, many things have been passed down through our family; now on their third generation of love.
The joy continued for me when more than a decade ago, a couple of us talked about starting our congregation’s then-unnamed prayer shawl ministry, Faithful Fingers. We put a small announcement in the bulletin to invite others to join and were so excited to have a wonderful response. The shawls represent the love of God and the healing power of prayer. The shawl itself is made of soft yarn (or fabric) so the recipient can wrap up in it and feel God’s arms around themselves. The crafter begins each shawl with prayers and blessings for the recipient, which are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. The blessing is rippled from person to person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a sheltering, loving God.
Our handmade items have traveled all around the world, some with mission teams to Guatemala, some with Lisa Whitaker to many of the countries where she has taught, a lot have stayed closer to home to touch those in need right here in Atlantic County and vicinity. And, we’ve branched out beyond just shawls to include hats, scarves, toys, blankets and many other handmade items.
We invite you to be an ambassador of God’s love by taking a shawl or lap blanket from the cabinet to someone in need. Please pray with us that the love crafted into the stitches will be a tangible reminder of Our God who loves us unconditionally and forever.
Click here to pray this hymn with me.
- Linda Babcock
Blessings,
Reverend Dave
_________________________
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)
Isn’t it amazing to think that even before we were born, God prepared us for a special purpose? We were knit together by God in an intricate pattern and given the desire and the ability to do something unique that touches others. When your gifts and your dreams line up with God’s will for your life, what joy!
Before I was born, my mother (who attended high school during WWII) was knitting socks for soldiers and bandages for the Red Cross. When I came along and then my three brothers, she added baby hats, blankets and sweaters to her repertoire and over the years, she became a blue-ribbon knitter and even raised sheep and spun their wool. She spent many hours at the county fair demonstrating how to spin, and even went to local schools to show the children how it was done. She was excited to share her craft with me when I started knitting, too. Actually, she thought it was most amazing when I was able to go on the internet and print her some patterns to share with her knitting guild friends. Years later, when her life was celebrated, many of her beautiful creations were on display at the funeral and many, many things have been passed down through our family; now on their third generation of love.
The joy continued for me when more than a decade ago, a couple of us talked about starting our congregation’s then-unnamed prayer shawl ministry, Faithful Fingers. We put a small announcement in the bulletin to invite others to join and were so excited to have a wonderful response. The shawls represent the love of God and the healing power of prayer. The shawl itself is made of soft yarn (or fabric) so the recipient can wrap up in it and feel God’s arms around themselves. The crafter begins each shawl with prayers and blessings for the recipient, which are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. The blessing is rippled from person to person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a sheltering, loving God.
Our handmade items have traveled all around the world, some with mission teams to Guatemala, some with Lisa Whitaker to many of the countries where she has taught, a lot have stayed closer to home to touch those in need right here in Atlantic County and vicinity. And, we’ve branched out beyond just shawls to include hats, scarves, toys, blankets and many other handmade items.
We invite you to be an ambassador of God’s love by taking a shawl or lap blanket from the cabinet to someone in need. Please pray with us that the love crafted into the stitches will be a tangible reminder of Our God who loves us unconditionally and forever.
Click here to pray this hymn with me.
- Linda Babcock
1 Comment
Beautifully written. Thank you, Linda, for sharing with us. Also, thank you for your gift of song in the chior.