Reflections of Christ

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your

fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing

cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not

provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not

plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that

you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

Deuteronomy 6: 4 - 12

I have been reading a book by Noel Piper called, "Treasuring God in our Traditions". It's a really neat book about why we have traditions, the differences between traditions, habits, and customs, teaching traditions and what traditions teach, teaching your children, etc, etc, etc. Noel also shares a few traditions that she and her family have. In one chapter Noel poses the question, "What habits and traditions do you enjoy together that express your family's character and help you see that facet of God?" For example, their family is a 'word' family. She says: "..we Piper's are a word-oriented family.......The enjoyment of words that God gave us helps us realize how important words are. God used a book full of word to tell us about Himself. God the Son is even called 'the Word'. If we didn't have words, how would we understand God and His world? What a precious gift to be a 'word family'!" She challenges her readers to: "consider how God is reflected in your family and in the activites you especially enjoy."

It got me thinking about me and Brent and what we do in our super-small, two-person family that reflect God. It is easy to see in my family and Brent's family. My family has music, and giving and hospitality as one way we reflect God and worship God together as a family. (although one member isn't exactly using her musical gifts at this moment in time!) Brent's family uses sports, humor (a lot of humor!), and their love for all types of people to reflect God and worship Him together as a family.

I'm not sure what mine and Brent's reflection(s) are. Perhaps, this is b/c we are just starting out...sort of. I'm not very athlectic and Brent's not very musical, which we both kinda like about each other, so there must be other ways. We both love people. That could be one way we reflect God together. I'm sure as time goes on different reflections will come out in our relationship with each other and ourselves. Noel gives a few examples of ways God is reflected in familes: art, building, traveling, fixing things, working on farms or in gardens. I think cooking could be there too. :) but i'm not in that group! I think I would be in the eating group! haha!! There is one couple I know of who reflects God in their relationship to one another. I have never seen more how a husband and wife should treat, respect, and love each other than in this couple. Their relationship is a beautiful expression on how Christ loves the Church and how He desires our marriages to flourish. They definitely reflect Christ in their marriage.

Well I'm not quite done with this book. I just read it here and there. I usually read 4 books at a time and never finish them! But hopefully these 4 books i'm reading now will actually be finished. I did finish one! Hooray! Hopefully this on is next! You should check this one out sometime!

Peace,
MC