At Christmas time my eight year old grandson surprised me with a cardboard Jesus he had made out of packaging from a gift we had purchased at Ikea.
The first thing I noticed, (you too?), was how very, ummmm, "bosom-y" Jesus was for a man.
But, after the initial giggling to myself, I remembered that one of the names of God, is El Shaddai.
The root word of Shaddai is shad, meaning breast.
The full meaning of El Shaddai is "One mighty to nourish, satisfy and supply".
I began to wonder if God wasn't trying to tell me something through my cardboard Jesus.
God is Love the Bible says.
If God is love, then He is all the facets, the sides, of love.
One of those facets is the love we would call motherly love.
We are all familiar with God's father heart, that He is indeed "Our Father".
But in His great heart is also the nurturing heart of a mother.
He is the perfect parent all wrapped up in One God.
We all need, at one time or another, the protective strength of a Father.
But, sometimes we need Someone to just hold us and sing over us like a mother.
Sometimes we need Someone to make us chicken soup.
He's mighty and He's tender.
He's strong and He's nurturing.
I'm quite smitten with the details my grandson put on my cardboard Jesus.
The crown of thorns taped to His head.
The loin cloth, the sash, the beard.
This is the picture of Jesus that came out of my grandson's heart and mind.
For some reason, his Jesus, is quite "bosom-y",
and now that I think about it,
so is mine.
Still following,
Oh, Elizabeth! What a lesson from cardboard Jesus! A little child WILL lead us...
ReplyDeleteIsn't God wonderful. Your grandson did not even realize he was being lead by God to tell you something! I really enjoy his creativity. When we finally had to put my Dad in the nursing home everytime we came to see him he always quoted us 1st John 4:8. The nurses loved him because he was always kind and loving to them and he usually would preach to them. The above brought all that back to me.
ReplyDeleteAren't kids wonderful? I love their sincerity and honesty.
ReplyDeleteThis brings to mind "Except you become as little children.........."
That is just precious. I have to admit I too, laughed when I saw the "busty" Jesus. I love the root meaning of ElShaddai. Isn't it wonderful the things God uses to remind us of His love.... I love your cardboard Jesus. From the heart of a child comes true love. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteLove this! We are doing the Kay Arthur study on the names of God, and I learned that meaning for El Shaddai. A perfect visual for His sufficiency on the cross.
ReplyDeletesimply wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThank you and God bless you
Ciao from Italy
br. Freddy
Love that cardboard Jesus and the inspiration He gave you in it. Those kids, they help us go deep, see broader don't they?
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy the way you think, Elizabeth. And I love how children just do and say things without the filter that adults have learned to apply.
ReplyDeleteI need the Lord to be that for me today....singing over me like a mother. xxoo
Oh my word. That cardboard Jesus is precious. I love the story you found in and through it, too.
ReplyDeleteNothing more sweeter than a child art project. I have received a few of my own 'treasured ones'... I still have one on my bathroom door. It is a wonderful reminder of child like innocence.
ReplyDelete"He's mighty and He's tender.
ReplyDeleteHe's strong and He's nurturing."
I love that there is freedom to see both sides of Jesus. I've worked with kids in ministry forever it seems, and there are so many wounded little souls who try to grasp who God is but can't because it's been taught solely as Father, and for them, without fathers, they are unable to connect. It is such a relief for them to hear all the sides of our great God.
WOW.
ReplyDeleteas a breastfeeding mother of my little girl, this spoke POWERFULLY to my soul. He nourishes us indeed.
Dear Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteThis is just beautiful! You remember when our Pappa created man, He said that He created them in His image, male and female He created them. I truly believe that He is not just our Father, but our mother and everything else we need! Visiting from Emily's. I just loved this post and Jesus does look a bit bosom-y, doesn't He!!
Much love XX
Mia
Awesome, Elizabeth. That verse in Zephaniah is my favorite. Thanks so much for sharing, and deepening my perspective.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, sister.
How special is this!!!! Adorable! If my son made this for me, I would keep it forever! And yes, God speaks to us through the mouth and hands of babes! Patsy from
ReplyDeleteHeARTworks