“You, being rooted and grounded in love. . .”
Ephesians 3:17b
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH9pBu3myaw]
The last two days, I have been privileged to teach two writing classes to homeschooled students, grades 5-11. It is definitely one of my great passions. We have been reading Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux—tearing it apart sentence by sentence; examining figures of speech and excellent writing style. But, in between the lines of this simple tale of a little mouse with big ears, a rich treasure of life lessons on love, hope, forgiveness and courage abound. One of the characters, Miggery Sow, has had a really tough life. Her father sold her to an uncle who continually gives her a big “clout” to the ear; causing her to be deaf and incapable of doing anything well. In the middle of the story, Miggery Sow experiences an epiphany. She sees something that changes her entire life. She sees a royal family surrounded by knights in shining armor and horses in shining armor. She sees a golden crown upon each of their heads and for the first time in her life sees clothing decorated with jewels and sequins that glitter and glow and capture light. She is stunned. The author writes:
“Mig, for her part, continued to stare. Looking at the royal family had awakened some deep and slumbering need in her; it was as if a small candle had been lit in her interior, sparked to life by the brilliance of the king and the queen and the princess. For the first time in her life, Mig hoped. And hope is like love. . . a ridiculous, wonderful, powerful thing. Mig tried to name this strange emotion; she put a hand up to touch one of her aching ears, and she realized that the feeling she was experiencing, the hope blooming inside of her, felt exactly the opposite of a good clout. She smiled and took her hand away from her ear. She waved to the princess . . .
She runs in to tell her uncle and says, “I saw human stars today.
I saw them all glittering and glowing, and there was a little princess wearing her own crown
and riding on a little white, tippy-toed horse.
I would like. . .I wish to be one of them princesses. I want to wear a crown.”
Kate DiCamillo, the author, truly captures the essence of hope. Have you ever had a Mig moment? A moment when you think life can’t get any worse? Dark clouds have decided to stop overhead? Mig was so accustomed to a life of pain that she had no idea of what life could be. . . until she saw the royal family. Until human stars crossed her path. Within seconds, her life changed.
Today, on this 6th Thankful Day of Christmas, I am grateful that Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, crossed my path and changed my life 28 years ago. Because of Jesus, we have hope. Because of Jesus, we can be rooted and grounded in love—”that ridiculous, wonderful, powerful thing.”
A Silent Second
George A. Buttrick once wrote, “Prayer begins, not in asking, but in a silent self-preparation. We should not rush into the Presence; the church of private devotion should be entered through the vestibule in an orderly quietness. This comes best as a by-product of a mind focused on God. We say to ourselves,
‘His light fills the world. It fills this room.’
Thus we meditate.'”
When Mig saw the royal family, she stared. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She was silent. Today, spend a few silent “Mig moments,” meditating on the powerful love of God. His love can change any situation. That is a promise.
P.S. “The Tale of Despereaux” movie opens nationwide tomorrow, December 19th! Read the book and see the movie! You will be so enriched.