Devotional 3-12-13

Feel the Love

Psalm 126
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.

Could I be more blessed? I don’t think so. It’s 7:00 on a Sunday morning, and I’m sitting on the couch, sipping a hot cup of coffee, watching my grandchildren sleep. The sun, giving a preview of the gorgeous day we have in store, is peeking through the blinds. I suddenly realize that if I were consciously storing memories – if I were a Giver or Receiver - this would be one I would keep.

In Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a community where Sameness is the main goal. To keep the citizens from feeling anything close to psychological or physical pain, the community has scientifically engineered or altered everything. At first the reader is impressed by the temperate climate and daily interactions between family members. But each chapter brings new realizations that make this utopian society a nightmare rather than a dream.

At the Ceremony of Twelve, when Jonas and his friends are given their occupations by the Committee of Elders, Jonas learns that he is to be the Receiver of Memories. The former Receiver – now the Giver – transfers all of the ancient memories of the community to Jonas. Jonas’s favorite memory is one in which parents, children, and grandparents are celebrating Christmas. He feels something in the room he has never felt in his own home. The memory tells him it’s love. That is the moment that Jonas realizes what he and others have given up in order to be “protected”. Jonas figures out that seeds of love and commitment must be sown if joy is to be harvested. His love and commitment are tested before the story concludes.

You and I are lucky because we have two distinct advantages over Jonas. First of all, we’re real; second, just as God brought the Israelites out of Babylon, He delivered us from evil and allowed His son to take our place on the cross. If you were a Giver, what memories would you give to others that would convey God’s love? Take a moment today to list those memories, those blessings. Could we be more blessed? I don’t think so.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings You have given us. Help us to remember that in order to harvest Your blessings, we may have to endure pain. And while that pain may be separation from those we love, we will remember their lives and know we’ve been blessed.
In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Becky Warren