Copse and Spinney

The thing about nostalgia is that sometimes years after we have let go of an item that we truly enjoyed, a strange thing happens. Kind of like an itch you can’t seem to scratch, you may start thinking about the item again, and remember it with rosy retrospection, to the point that in your mind, you remember it even better than it was before.

This was the case in a children’s story I read entitled, “The Most Wonderful Doll in the World”. In the story, a little girl who has always gotten everything she wants, has lost her latest acquisition, a doll that she named Angela, Upon the realization that Angela has gone missing, she begins to describe Angela to others with great embellishment. Her imagination runs wild with each retelling of her missing doll, that before long, she has also invented more and more details about Angela, even including more accessories that have also gone missing. But one day when the family was raking the leaves in the yard, she found Angela, laying under a pile of old leaves. There was no extra suitcases, or fancy coat, dresses, or carriage, she was simply her old doll, right where she had been misplaced.

Another story I recall from my childhood was entitled One Hundred Dresses. It made an impression on me. In this story, a little girl wore the same dress to school every day. Presumably she was poor. And the other girls at school made fun of her for wearing her same plain dress to school week in and week out. After much teasing from the other students, she told her school mates that, at home, she actually had one hundred dresses in her closet. But they didn’t believe her. But you see, her imagination had created a world of beautiful dresses on paper. She found it amusing, to tell them that they were real, and that she actually had One hundred dresses.

In both of these books, we see the heart of a child, when the imagination runs wild with desire.

Sometimes even adults paint embellished pictures of life, in our little “Insta squares” to escape the mundane. One easily gets caught up, going from one social media post to the next, like a little humming bird following the red water, or like the butterflies in the garden. Those that specialize in marketing were taught to create desire in the viewer, telling others what is in style, what they need, what they should hope for. And it’s easy for anyone to get caught up, thinking that your life is not as “________ ” as someone else.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in an steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”

Scripture reminds us to value eternal things such as kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, love, and peace. Jesus said that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, all the things we need will be added to us. (In context, he was referring to food and clothing, and he knows that we need these. It is not wrong to have nice things; in fact scripture says that if we seek first His Kingdom, all these things will be added to us. He commanded us not to worry about things like clothes. The flowers neither toil nor spin and yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (dressed) as beautifully as one of them.

Today, on social media, people are completely obsessed with things money can buy. We use a heart emoji to indicate love so flippantly. But are we using social media to show off or is it because we care. We’re are instructed in scripture, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” We are to love people, but not to covet what they have.

Sometimes, in my mind it all seems so paradoxical. We love and believe in a God of abundance. As my Grandmother always used to quote: “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.” Even as he promised to take care of our physical needs, he does not want us to LOVE things! Oh how easily we fall into this trap. But I don’t want to.

So even as I place little red hearts on posts with fancy houses, clothes and “stuff” I hear the quiet little reminder that the world and all it’s things are passing away and not to “love the things” of this world but rather, love the people.

1 John 2:15-17 is always a lingering thought in my mind. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Then I remember that Jesus was completely selfless in laying down his life as a ransom for many. But he was also confident. He portrayed a healthy self image. And some might argue that he was poor on earth, but he had everything. He didn’t need anything. He could make water into wine, multiply fish and loaves. He may not have been from the wealthiest family but we know that his mom made him a lovely linen tunic that he wore with everything. And that the garment was so valuable that the soldiers cast lots to see which one of them would get it when they apprehended Him.

These are the things I want to remember, that deep inside of every person is a desire to have dignity, and something that sets them apart, to be known, and loved for who they are, and bring something to the world that is unique. We want to be noticed. We want to be liked. We mostly just want to be loved. Not kicked around by society.

Jesus, had his dignity stripped from himself. He was made very poor on our behalf. He loves us more than we can even imagine.

Proverbs thirty one, speaks of a virtuous woman who is clothed in strength and dignity. Oh yes, she wears purple and fine linen, she makes sashes to sell at the market. Her children are all well clothed and ready for the changing seasons. She laughs at the days to come. This simply means that she is not worry filled.

When I think of this, it brings me great joy to remember that she still exists today. I see her in many of the beautiful women whom I have watched on various platforms, who have shared a different kind of “feed”; A love of family, of sharing, caring, creating, and treating people as they deserve. A kindhearted woman is to be praised says the proverb.

WHITE GARMENTS

This is the younger me at 17, in a white outfit that my brother bought for me; and below, a rather impressionistic scene of me wearing my white dress out onto the rocky ledges of the creek bank. Romantic, in thought but in reality there was a sudden burst of a fire ant bed that quickly made me change my mind about this spot. :-)

Lately, I must confess that I have been obsessed with white Edwardian petticoats, but the truth is, I have always loved white garments because they remind me of heaven and the promise of a clean white linen garment, “Fine linen bright and clean was given to her (the bride of Christ) to wear”. And there will be no more sorrow, or crying… nor fire ants popping up out of nowhere onto our white, beautiful heavenly garment! These garments are representative of love, both of Christ for his Bride and of His love poured out through her life while on this earth.

When I woke up this morning, looking sleepily at my closet and thought, what should I wear today, I had just a little nudge in my heart saying “First of all, put on Love”.

In conclusion, I hope that you find what you are looking for, that thing that you have been missing. But at the same time, remember that it may be something deeper that you really want. If you ever find yourself missing something you once let go of, perhaps what you are really truly missing is not a thing at all. Maybe it is the younger you, or an earlier time when you had your whole life ahead of you. Perhaps it’s that relationship you once had with Jesus. After all, at the end of it everything, all of our treasures will be the people, and of course, it goes without saying, Jesus, forever our greatest treasure.

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