Fru-fru for a Cause

This collage, while not literally readable, is a sampling of items I received at Gateway Foursquare Church's ladies Christmas gathering last night. A team of dedicated women researched the scriptures, made the cards, selected items to represent each verse and assembled them to correspond with the evening's theme "The Midnight Clear." (thus the midnight blue) I am not a fru-fru person. My job last night was to sing some songs. Pastor Laurie's job was to deliver a message that she hoped would cause every lady present (easily 100 or so) to leave with a lift, not a load. The fru-fru was to help us remember the key points of her message. She could have done an outline on a piece of paper. (I would have!) Instead, the items included the following:

-A mirror ball and mirror to remind us we were created by God in His image, and all the days of our lives were prepared before we even lived one day.

- A key-shaped bookmark to represent that as God's children we have keys to open any door and complete access to God's kingdom. There are no barriers between heaven and earth.

- A bracelet with beads handmade by the women in the Sudan, one shaped like a butterfly, to represent how fixing our eyes on God changes us from the inside out.

Laurie's message was not "Christianity lite" -- like the froth on a latte. She got down to the espresso. Many women are going through very tough times. Financial struggles. Marriage troubles. Health issues. She closed her message with a film of Jesus' crucifixion. Because no matter what is going on in your life, God is working. He won't let you go. He created us and He loves us. And those women who decorated tables, cooked food and assembled fru-fru reminders were demonstrating God's love to one another unconditionally. These loving women are available to be family to anyone who needs them. Because God loves us and we share that love with each other, we are never alone. What drew me to faith was being loved in a Godly way by women like them. What keeps me close is sharing that love with others. My way is not by fru-fru. But today I stand in awe of the fru-fru gifted ladies.