storytelling and potpourri

I love stories. True stories. Fun stories. I love to hear them and I love to tell them. I've been known to embellish true life events to make them just a little bit better than they really are to make a more interesting story. When Pastor Derek asked me to be the storyteller for our pumpkin patch again this year, I gladly accepted.

It was a beautiful day to be outside. The skies were clear. Cool breezes blew. We had pumpkins and we had a story. It doesn't get much better than this. The kids were excited to be doing a special thing and I was excited to interact with them and make their day a little more fun.

As they filed into the pavilion for the story, I thought about how it was when I went to school and how everyone looked alike. We were all Caucasian, some Catholic, some Baptist, some southerners, some yankees, but we were basically similar in appearance and economic circumstances, etc. This is what some people think heaven is going to be like. Gobs and gobs of people just like themselves. I believe they are going to be quite surprised.

I think heaven will be more like it was today. The children were a gorgeous blend of boys and girls of Asian, Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian descent, and they were all eager to hear the story and have some fun. I thought of the children I've met on our missions trips--about how they all look different than I do but each one is beautiful in his or her own unique way--from the ruddy-cheeked Quechuan children of Ayacucho, Peru to the brownest youngsters in Gabon, Africa.

The USA is called a melting pot and that's not a bad thing for our country, but I thought of heaven and how it's going to be so much better than a melting pot. A melting pot cooks ingredients down until it's a conglomeration of the pieces and parts that were added to it. Heaven will be more like a potpourri. A potpourri of humanity. Individually beautiful ingredients that come together to make a new thing--a sweet savor. It will be a delicate blend of all those saved by the grace of God and it will send up a sweet aroma in testimony of His goodness and mercy.

Heaven is going to be grand and I can't wait to go there. For now though I'll be content with my small portion of potpourri here on earth. The Lord is so good to me.

Suz