Charmed and Chosen

                                                            Charmed and Chosen

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

The little girl motioned for me to enter her space. As I moved in her direction, she entered further in, and I followed. As we were mere feet from the central play area and her door was propped open for all to see, I gawked at this child’s room. The meager environment felt void of stuff. Not a possession in the world did she have on display and yet—upon holy ground we stood.

The hand-built bed had been painted once upon a time, and now the layer of stickers and self-crayoned embellishments were proof of ownership. One pillow and one small comforter were all she had. The shelves of the headboard were bare, but within seconds, she lifted her pillow. In one fell swoop she grabbed her pillow to expose the contents under it. Three braided bracelets made from varying colors of yarn lay before me. As her hand swept over them and with a smile upon her face, it was evident she was offering me one of her creations she’d tucked away for safekeeping.

Receive it I did as the little green, white, and purple strands melded into one circular knot which sealed—signaling that I’d been not only chosen but charmed by the pure of heart.

The little bracelet hangs now upon a hook within my home. A tug of war ensues within each time I cast my eyes upon it.  Acts 20:35 perhaps explains those feelings in part. “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

I went to give of myself but ended up receiving. How humble it felt to be the one to receive her finest knowing I’d done absolutely nothing to deserve it. A complete stranger was I.

The groundwork as to how this work was laid long ago. I suppose seeing it played out in real-time shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, Romans 5:8 clarifies how this type of action is even possible. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

And there you have it—from Acts, to Romans, and on to that which speaks of how our attitudes need be—the Beatitudes.  In Matthew 5:1-10 we see what was scripted long ago. We see what it means to be blessed and what attitudinal posturing is worthy of praise. And in these words, I witnessed the heart of a child living each in the midst of our God who had been carving a heart for Him within hers—all along.

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit—for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn—for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek—for they will inherit the land.

There are more if you have time to ponder these things in your own heart. The more I pondered, the more I realized how blessed I was to be among those who are blessed. Amen.