It is a rainy October morning 

There is a chill in the air.

I pull out the afghan my grandmother made me and curl up on the couch with my coffee.

This treasure is over 30 years old.

When Tootie was still alive, she crocheted afghans for everyone.

Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren.

She made afghans for my friends, and even made matching ones for me and my roommate when I went to college.

When she had enough money, we would go to Newberry’s so she could buy more Wintuk yarn to make more afghans.

She did not have much, but she offered whatever she had.

Her afghans and prayers.

And she offered both until her last breath.

This was her way of showing love.

We do not always recognize the ways others show love.

To some, this covering is just simply a blanket.

But for me, to know what went into making this love offering makes this afghan a timeless treasure.

Jesus recognized how others showed their love for Him.

“Now when Jesus was [back] in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,  a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume and she poured it on Jesus’ head as He reclined at the table.  But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant and angry, saying, “Why all this waste [of money]?  For this perfume might have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware [of the malice] of this [remark], said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a good thing to Me.  You always have the poor with you; but you will not always have Me. When she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, wherever this gospel [of salvation] is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her [for her act of love and devotion].”  Matthew 26: 1-13 AMP

To some, pouring this expensive perfume from the alabaster vial onto the head of Jesus was seen as wasteful.

But for Jesus, He knew what went into bringing this offering.

This was her way of showing love to Him.

An act of love and devotion.

One that would be told about for many years to come.

As I look down at this worn afghan, it reminds me that love is shown in different ways.

May God give us the eyes to see the many ways love is offered to us.

May He also help us to find the ways we can offer our love to a broken world.

Even if it is through afghans and prayers.

Going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do.

Having a variety of choices appeals to both me and my family.

And if I get out of being the resident short order cook for one evening, that is always a bonus.

One of my friends cannot just order off the menu.

I will refer to her as Sally.

If you have seen When Harry Met Sally, this will make perfect sense.

For those of you who have not, suffice to say that she will customize her order, adding or deleting this or that, or making substitutions.

It always makes me chuckle.

She deconstructs her meal every time.

This dining out experience got me thinking about how we try to make our faith “made to order”.

We deconstruct our faith.

With the free will God has given us, we sometimes try to order it just the way we would like it.

I will have God on Sunday, with a side of Christmas and Easter.

Please hold the small groups or Bible studies.

Can I substitute reading the Bible for a movie with an uplifting message instead?

Before we know it, we have watered down our relationship with God into an ala carte experience.

Friends, I am not throwing stones here.

I need this message.

Maybe you do, too.

God wants us to be fully filled and satisfied.

Our Heavenly Father nourishes us through the Word.

“But Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks.’”  Matthew 4:4 NLV

We cannot hear the words He speaks to us if we are not spending time with Him.

Going without eating for days leaves us feeling weak.

Going without being in His Word and presence also leaves us weak.

And just like we are more susceptible to illness when we are undernourished, we are also more susceptible to the enemy when we are only filled on Sundays and holidays.

We take in food and drink to strengthen our bodies.

In the same way, we take in the Word to strengthen our souls and prepare us for whatever life brings our way.

“Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”  Ephesians 6: 13-18 MSG

God wants us to have a daily diet of His love and grace.

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6 : 11 AMP

But God is not only referring to bread that fills us, but also to the Bread of Life that sustains us daily.

“Jesus replied to them, ‘I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually].” John 6:35 AMP

Made to order : our way or His way?

Which way will you order today?