Dear Savannah


 I would never presume to speak for God, nor should anyone. That said, when I look on this young lady, my friend, Savannah Nunn, on the occasion of her Confirmation, I cannot help but wonder what it is God has to say to her, of her, in such a holy moment. What follows is a humble Pastor's pondering around such a conversation, in the form of a letter from God to Savannah as she is Confirmed:

Dear Savannah,
You make Me smile, even laugh with Delight on this sacred journey! Your quiet beauty lights up the Heavens, just as I always thought you would. Thank you! The stole which you made in the course of your Confirmation class is full of meaning and so very beautiful. Each symbol makes Me pause as I watch you grow in faith.
The Descending Dove of the Holy Spirit, as pretty in the blue stained glass rosette window in the Chancel area of your worship home as it is on your stole, touches My heart deeply, for the Holy Spirit has been with you and your family since the beginning of your journey. Even when doctors and nurses were worried you would not survive your condition, My Holy Spirit in you never doubted your possibilities and potential, not to mention giving to you the strength and will to survive. You are truly a 'one-of-a-kind' in this world but, to Me, you are my child, precious and overflowing with my Spirit and giving to all the other 'one-of-kind' children of mine Hope for each day. Bless you!
The Descending Heart on your stole - is that the gift of My Son for your life? What a sublime way to think of Jesus! Rainbow colors and all, inclusive Being and pulse of Creation gently coming down in order to lift up with Power and Authority - you spun this old, old, Story in a fun and engaging new way. Who knew?
Ah, the Chalice and the Loaf, the Body and the Blood - I am so, so very grateful you chose those symbols, these Sacramental Gifts to be central to your faith development. Your insight and careful placement of these Signs of My Love, continuing the descent if you will, from Holy Spirit, through the Life of Jesus, to the consecrated elements given that you might fully know Me . . . it just makes Me catch my breath . . . much as Elijah experienced Me in the sheer silence on that mountain. Sometimes, Savannah, the loudest you can shout My message is without words - daring to show in your life (or on your stole) what grounds you in Me. Shalom abounds.
You could have chosen to stop there, but you did not. You continue to tell my Story through the lifting up of an Empty Triumphant Cross, marking Our victory over the grave - and your expectations far beyond the boundaries of this earth.
Then add to that the Ascending Dove, the Rise of Jesus and the Rush of the Pentecost Winds of the Spirit birthing the new Church, the Body of Christ in Courage, Strength and Authority! How very cool! It is clear you and your class prayerfully searched the Scriptures, discerned your place in the evangelistic work of the Church and applied your lessons well. Incredible!
The fish in the waters . . . Icthus swimming . . . Baptism, Feeding 5,000, the food Jesus fed His disciples after the Resurrection, and an early symbol for the Christian community, especially when it was forced into secret meeting places in order to survive - Savannah, my dear child, you bring together so much, so simply. Awesome. Holy. 
But, that last symbol, the Clam Shell of Baptism, is a dangerous one, Savannah, for to enter the waters of Baptism yourself, through Confirmation, is to immerse yourself in the struggle and witness, the challenges and the joys of this particular - and somewhat peculiar - community of faith called the Church. The waters are sign and seal of My Mercy washing you, My Grace cleansing you, My Son walking in you, and My Spirit keeping you, in whatever you are called to do and wherever you are called to go. You are Mine. Think on that. Pray on that. Receive that Truth with the rejoicing of the Apostle Paul - and the certainty of what I AM in you. You are never alone, regardless your challenges or challengers.
Dear, dear Savannah, you are never alone, never have been, never will be. Your Mom and Dad, Amy and Rob, are two of my most devoted children and examples of faith you will ever find. So, too, are many of your family and friends beyond them. As cautiously and intentionally as you have chosen to place signs of your faith on your stole, so exercise the Wisdom which comes from the Spirit as a gift of Understanding in how you live each day. You are exactly whom I have created you to be in My Eyes. Live that with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your might, loving Me each day in the same way you love your neighbor as yourself. Do this and your stole will become the root of greater works, a Tree of Life I have planted for you and in you throughout all your days. And . . .
Remember this: I Love You, now and forever - and I am so proud of the child you are becoming. I am leaning forward to see where you will go from this Blessed Moment of Confirmation. 
With all my Heart,
Abba, Creator, God

So may it be for Savannah - and for all who take on the Vows of Baptism for themselves along life's Way. God bless you, Savannah, for allowing us to see God in you every day of your life!
Something to ponder on the journey

Popular posts from this blog

How Do You Look?

Image
Have you ever wondered how you look in someone else's eyes? A fair number of people I know keep that concern close in mind as they select the clothes they wear, have their hair done, think about where they might find themselves - and with whom, and even as they choose what fragrance to wear. All that - for what one imagines others might see and perceive. Truth of the matter? Far more people will see you than you will ever know and, to a great extent, they will draw conclusions about you and who you are more by what you do and how you treat others, than by any personal appearance or attitude you work so carefully to project. Don't believe me? Consider this picture. Our farming neighbor across the fields, Judy Feig, sent this picture to me last evening. Seems she was outside their home and caught a glimpse of the setting sun reflecting off the barn at my brother's place and just could not pass on taking a picture and sending it to me. Oddly enough, though, Judy told me that t...
Read more

Time to Ban Lascivious Flowers and Their Colors

Image
It appeared this morning on today's edition of Sunday Morning on the local CBS network, a segment about the banning of books in our school systems and, by extension, in our local libraries. Much of the segment gave credit for the bans to an organization ironically named, 'Moms for Liberty'. Liberty must certainly have a different meaning today from when I grew up, but I digress. As I viewed the segment and the related story concerning the backlash from others across the country committed to making books, all kinds of books, available to anyone who wants to read them, it occurred to me that if we do not take this kind of oppressive authoritarian behavior seriously now and try to stop it, the next thing you know they will be trying to ban lascivious flowers and their colors, wherever they may be found - because, you know, flowers include the colors of the rainbow - and so much more. Having just received some absolutely stunning pictures of Spring flowers at Diamond Valley La...
Read more

Listen To The Graves of the Saints

Image
 "You need to stand and listen to the graves of the saints." In a Zoom meeting the other day, one of the members present observed that it seems our current world culture really has not learned much from our shared past. Referencing the overt bigotry against the LGBTQIA+ community, the ongoing racial unrest in so many forms, the painful grievous nature of the ongoing warfare in Ukraine, and our shared unwillingness to extend mercy and grace to others that they not be brought low by our stiff-necked system of beliefs within the Church itself, another of the participants, a Veteran of the military and of the cross as a minister, quietly, simply said, "You need to stand and listen to the graves of the saints." That so struck me, I wrote it down immediately and have been mulling on that wisdom ever since. What does it mean to, ". . . listen to the graves of the saints"? Then came the most recent of school shootings, this one in a Nashville, Tennessee, Christian...
Read more