I’m really not a prolific writer. I do ponder things and think that I should type it up into a post but then life distracts. It is good to sit down it put things down on paper or the computer screen. It forces me to think through my crazy thoughts. What am going to try to put down into words probably wont be profound, but who knows I might surprise myself and hopefully anyone who chooses to read this.
We are now in a new season, one that I thoroughly love. Cool leaf filled breezes blowing, golden pathways, warm blankets, welcoming scents, just feel so right. With the new season came a new homeschooling year and also a new year of performing the roll of catachist for our churches fall Sunday school program Catachesis of the Good Shepherd. I love the program and the philosophy behind it. It is not the normal way educating is done in our culture, the pouring into the children mere facts. It is an opportunity for the children to hear the gospel of Jesus and to hopefully be provided the space to wonder and ponder the stories He told and His life and to encounter their creator and savior. The space that the children are provided begins with a time to work with materials that are often created by the catechist him or herself. This is a part of this program that I also thoroughly enjoy as well. I love to create. I love working with all things considered crafty. I have taken upon myself to help create some indispensable materials for our churches program. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has caused me to see my need to wonder and wrestle with God’s word, something that I so often fail to do. I find that whether I’m creating an item to be used in the class or working through the lesson that I am forced to wonder about things I that I haven’t paused to see or ponder upon. I began to create a nativity set for the room and found myself thinking about Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men wanting to hold their infant messiah. We often see nativity sets that have Mary holding her son, her savior but not so many where the shepherds are seen embracing the infant Jesus and gazing into their infant saviors face. Gosh, If I was told that the messiah had come, would I a lowly shepherd want to hold my savior in my arms? I am forever grateful for encountering Catachesis of the Good Shepherd and the friend that introduced the program to me. I want to ponder the magnificence of my God, my Savior just as Jesus’ own mother did.
“When the angels went away from them into heaven the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us, ‘ and they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things , pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Luke 2:15-20
~Laura