Saying yes to the wonder of Christmas

If fabric could speak, it would be chanting right now..."Jesus loves me....this I know..."

Of course this was happening in my wild imagination at the start of a dreamy dress idea for my Africa mission trip, but wouldn't you like to know what a new piece of clothing would say if it could sing?

Recently, while in Africa...I saw love speak life into so many little girls with a simple dress sown with love.  Yes, love.  God reached through the language barrier and His love spoke in so many ways.

And it's still speaking....Almost a month later, the language of love is still singing into those little girl hearts that received some of God's love with a little dress that made them feel oh so pretty.  This is the kind of Love, a love so simple and profound that lasts a lifetime.

This all started with a dreamy idea of taking something pretty for the little girls to wear.  Something to make them feel special.  I had no idea all the details it would involve or the depths in which God would grow my faith.  I certainly wasn't thinking about Christmas at the time.  

I had no idea that God would restore my wonder of the manager while in Africa too.

Each dress was stitched with love from devoted ladies hands and hearts.  The stitches harvested a gathering of dresses from all over the United States...Oklahoma, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, and Kansas.  We had a goal of 500 dresses.  

That number alone was so big in my mind.

My next prayer was to get all the dresses there.  I prayed and trusted God for a miracle gift.  That same day a large donation came in to pay for the extra shipping expenses.  More than enough to pay for extra baggage.

God you are so big in this little dreamy idea.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (I love the Message version of one of my favorite verses) God can do anything, you know--far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!  He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."

The faith harvest resulted in 485 total brand-new dresses especially crafted for girls of all sizes, with all the loving care that hands and hearts could make and take.  Each dress lovingly stitched with "You.Are.Special." in each seam, sealed with prayers of faith and blessings.

Nothing can rip out away our love prayers, the cries of our hearts to God for hurting hearts in need.  ....Nothing.

Wow...God did that!  Not only did God bring so many pieces of His heart together to send but then He got them there for free?  (We were able to fit all the garments into our allowed luggage and didn't have to pay one extra red cent.)

A miracle indeed.

Can you hear the angel chorus now?  What a wonder!  God is and always has been the One who works wondrous things in our lives!

BUT ....another wonder that happened...on that hot day a month ago.  As as I watched from the middle of a dirt road, I watched three little beauties walking away dressed in God's love.  I could only stare in wonder and worship at the works of God's mighty hand.

(Whispered....Wow!  God did that!)  I'm still humming the great work of the Holy Father.  Seeing this miracle right before my eyes spoke a new wonder of God into my heart once again.

What a gift of faith to see God grow dreams with His wonder, with His wonderful miracles.  As we focus our attention now on the Christ child.  As we look for the wonder of Christmas, we see a tiny miracle wrapped in the biggest Love known to man.  He was dressed in his best and gave us the greatest Gift of all.  

The gift of Christmas is your renewed wonder of the Christ child.  The wondrous gift, a gift that keeps on singing a Love chorus and verse.  Can't you hear Heaven singing?  O Come....

"O Come Let Us Adore Him, O Come Let us Adore Him..."  Say yes to the wonder of Christmas again, like a child receiving something new to wear.  Let your heart see the wonderful miracle of the Christ child.  

My prayer:  O Come, O Come Emmanuel...let us say yes to giving your Love gift today to whomever we meet to with Your compassion and with Your eyes of love.  Take what's in our hands God, and it make much.  Take us outside our trust borders to reach those who need to know what the wonder of Christmas is all about.  Stir our hearts with your compassionate gift of salvation.  Sow your seeds of faith, cultivate, churn and burn our souls with your Presence today and forever more.  May we never forget that you are the God of miracles, Christmas miracles and forever more wonder.  Renew our wonder of You, prepare our hearts in this waiting time.  Comfort, oh comfort us for we are your people.  May our hearts adore your wondrous gift.

(You can be a part of helping the hurting in Africa right now.  A gift of any amount impacts and spreads the Love of Christ in so many ways.  Please consider a gift of Love this Christmas.)  Thank you for giving to the Lord.