St Nicolas' Day Pictures

Can the real Santa please stand up!

I’ll be straight with you. I love Christmas and I’m secretly still sad that Santa does not exist. I have fun memories of putting our biscuits and Bashew cooldrinks(yes, the african way) out for Father Christmas to refuel, after he had sneaked into our house and filled our pillow cases at the foot of our beds with all the presents he miraculously knew we wanted. Father Christmas had to get through the window because we had no chimney:) At least, that’s what my parents told me.

So here I am a couple of decades or so later, with two of my own little squirrels, Kristen and Jesse longing to re-invent this magical world of Father Christmas, his reindeer and the mass of presents he wants to leave them as he goes on his way, getting fatter and fatter as he eats all the biscuits and drinks all the Bashew drinks imaginable. But I know I owe them more than that.

So the point of this blog is to help us parents walk upstream during this season of crazy opulence, over-indulgence and myth around that pot-bellied, jolly old man called Father Christmas, on the eve of St Nicholas’ day, 6 December.

So here enters the real Santa.....St Nicholas. St Nicholas was born in a town called Myra, now known as Turkey in the Mediterranean. He was raised by his Christian family as he lost both his parents at a quite a young age. St Nicholas was driven by the christian values instilled in him at a young age and there are many testimonies of him living a life of servitude, generosity, mercy and justice. One such story and my favorite, is when he secretly placed gold coins through the window of a friends’ daughter who was to be sold into slavery because her father could not afford her dowry. Another story goes that he employed a wood carver to make wooden toys for poor children in his community, and another story goes that he generously fed the poor and clothed them. He eventually became a Bishop and his sainted remains now lie in the Port City of Bari in Italy, which strangely enough I have been to.

St Nicholas was a Jesus follower, a dedicated follower of the Light of the world and his life reflected it. A bit of a far cry from the Coke drinking jolly fellow we now know and love (I speak for myself on this point:)). Which brings me to the following point, the image of St Nicholas has evolved over centuries as different groupings and companies have added little touches here and there as a marketing gimmick. So to the Coca-Cola company’s credit, they are not the only ones guilty of tainting St Nicholas’s image.

So on 6 December this year, I will be celebrating the life of St Nicholas with my family and will attempt to use symbols of St Nicholas’ life, which I hope will help challenge our views of the silly season, and inculcate a message of generosity and not of getting stuff, a message of justice and not of adding to the greater divide between the rich and poor, and a message of mercy and not of being wrapped up in our own bubble as we see the poor all around us. So here are the symbols which will be incorporated into the meal. The aim is to keep the little “gifts” as simple as possible....after all we don’t want to perpetuate the cycle of “stuff” over this time:

• A Sock: represents the sock or shoe into which the gold coins fell when he paid for the young lady’s dowry;
• Chocolate Gold Coins: The money he left in the socks;
• Something Wooden: As a reminder of the gifts the Wood carver made for the poorer children. Maybe fun pencils or little wooden Christmas trimmings will do
• Cloth or clothing: represents the clothes he gave to the poor. In this case I’m thinking new ribbons for Kristen’s hair and a little bandana for Jesse
• Favorite food: This represents his generosity as he sought to feed the poor. I’m thinking of giving Jesse a few strawberries, and Kristen some sweet melon, their favorite fruit.
• Ginger Bread: Symbolises the bread St Nicolas made with exotic spices

So it doesn’t have to cost much. Usually some traditional Mediterranean food is enjoyed as the life of St Nicholas is reflected on.

So what on earth are we to do with Santa this season! For me I’m not ready to give it all up yet. I’ll continue to ask God to challenge me in my thinking and preparation as we await Jesus this advent season, wait for Him to transform our hearts and wait on the same Jesus who affected St Nicholas’ life so deeply. So may the Lord of Love, Generosity, Mercy and Justice walk upstream with us this Christmas season!

Please go to the following link to read a very comprehensive article about the Saint we love so much. I've used Scribd, a site one can upload pdf's for viewing on the net, as I was unable to attach a document to this blog. Hope it works. http://www.scribd.com/doc/74814156/StNicholasDay

I also found the following website really informative

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/

Watch this space for some pictures of our time together and examples of what we used during the evening. Love Mauri:)

Creating your own celebrations

Christmas Day and the season of Advent is full of tradition and rituals. The question is, is whose traditions are you following? The joyous thing about being a parent is that you have the authority and freedom to create your own Christmas rituals in your home for your children. It is not always a simple task to create traditions, it does take prayer, thought and some good chats with your spouse.

We all carry with us memories of Christmas from our childhood - some are good, some are hurtful, some inspire, and some keep us in boundage. Mostly these experiences are powerful and emotive. So it takes some careful sifting to work out what do we want to carry forward into our own families, and what do we want to leave behind. We need to recognise that the letting go of some traditions is not a simple task due to the emotional attachment we have with them. We may need pray through and process the "letting go" with a good friend.

Add to this we are in a society that, for some strange reason, goes crazy around Christmas with a startling amount of shopping, sales, decorations, Santa Claus, fir-trees, presents, eating, gatherings, chocolate advent calanders, tinsel and more. Ironically in the midst of this frenzied preparing and feasting, very little of Jesus is reflected. (I  recently tried to purchase a toy nativity set and found that most toy store assistants gave me a blank look, but went on to offer me a handful of Christmas related toys that had a whole lot to do with Santa but very little to do with Jesus). In creating our own celebration of Christmas we need to prayerfully decide what we want to include from our society's traditions, and how to explain to our children why we have chosen not to include the rest.

Shaping our own Christmas is not just about keeping what we like and discard the rest, it is also about creating something brand new. As we push into to understanding more of Jesus, more of His justice and love, we may find we are inspired to add to our Christmas season something that is so Holy Spirit inspired that we don't know of anyone else who is doing it. How exciting - so be open to the new things that may be birthed in your heart. I encourage you to share them with us moms as it will only add to the richness of our celebrations.

Jesus's said that His burden is not heavy and that His yoke is light - this provides us with a great promise to take hold of as we look to mould our family's Christmas celebrations. It does not have to feel like hard work. God wants to show us how.

One mom shared how she and her husband had been praying about their Christmas and had specifically asked God to show them What does God want Christmas to look like in their home? and the also sought God specifically on How they could redeem Christmas in their own lives and home? What an inspiring testimony of how God has been answering them with verses that give guidance, and by dropping inspiring ideas in their hearts and minds. God loves it when we are intentional about Him, and seek to live our lives in line with His best for us. When our hearts are yearning for His way, He does not delay in sharing His thoughts, ideas and strategies with us. And what a joy this is, because His way brings LIFE!

There is no ONE right way to do Christmas, no formula and no script. There is room for you to be Holy Spirit inspired, to use your talents and creative gifts to make this season LIFE giving for your family and to celebrate with your children the wondrous gift of God, Jesus.


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AND REMEMBER:
If you are on Facebook, make sure you join our Moms 4 Justice group where those of us who were at the meeting have committed ourselves to inspiring each other during the Advent Season. Each day one of us will post some reflective thoughts or verses that can help us all focus on the real meaning of Christmas, or inspire us to pursue social justice in this season of festivity, or something that we can say or do with our kids that will help them better understand Jesus and Christmas.


Follow this link to go to the facbook group of Moms4Justice

Christmas Time

There seems to be a need to do some hard work to walk upstream over the Christmas season, the tide of materialism flows strong, family expectations - some good, some bad - push in on us, and on top of that everyone makes plans for end of year parties. Sometimes it feels like you are caught in the turning and tumbling of a rapid or maybe even a waterfall. Our conversation this month focussed on Christmas, and how we can be intentional about Jesus, and about weaving into the glorious, and not so glorious, craziness of the silly season, the values of social justice - compassion, generosity and the like.

So watch this space as I share with you some of our thoughts in a series of blog posts over the next couple of days. May it strengthen you to find your feet in the river, and walk up the stream, pursing Kingdom values in your family over the month of December.

And if you are on Facebook, make sure you join our Moms 4 Justice group where those of us who were at the meeting have committed ourselves to inspiring each other during the Advent Season. Each day one of us will post some reflective thoughts or verses that can help us all focus on the real meaning of Christmas, or inspire us to pursue social justice in this season of festivity, or something that we can say or do with our kids that will help them better understand Jesus and Christmas.

Follow this link to go to the facbook group of Moms4Justice

Our everyday interactions

It is good to catch a breath, and think back on how you have been travelling along the journey that you are on. That is what we did in our last Moms 4 Justice gathering. No agenda. Just time to reflect on how we were doing as moms grappling with rearing our children in a way that helps them catch the heart of social justice.

As we shared where we were at...a clear theme emerged. How do we engage with our domestic workers and nannies in a way that honours Jesus, and shows our children that they are valuable human beings. One shared how saddened she felt when she walks her nanny out to the gate to say good bye, and neighbours will greet her but not the nanny. It is almost as though they don't see the nanny, as if she is not really there. How does nanny feel about this? And what message is being shared to the children? It is so special when you go to someone's home and your hostess welcomes you and introduces you to the nanny/domestic worker as though they are an important part of the family. Recognising their value, not just viewing them as invisible hired help.

How do you build an authentic friendship with your nanny/domestic worker? This is not easy given the history of our country and also the way people of different racial groups view each other. Add to that the employer-employee dynamic where you have power in that you pay salary. But there is another  inequality in the relationship, that makes friendship a challenge - it is the fact that your domestic worker knows so much about you...what your home looks like when it is a mess, how you react with your kids in your most strained moments and more. And yet you know precious little about her, unless she chooses to share. There are many real challenges that may undermine our friendships with our workers.

Yet we know these friendship are possible. Whilst some in the group have grown up in households where the domestic was treated as a second-class person - with separate ablutions, given separate plates to eat off, and unjustly suspected of theft; some have fond memories of nannies who have become "part of the family". One mother shared how her son's nanny had helped to raise her when she was small. This nanny has been working for the family for years. She totally trusts her son's life to this lady, who she knows loves her son as her own. So much so that during a time of crisis earlier this year, when her nanny had to return to her own house urgently, this mother allowed the nanny to take her son with her to Gugulethu - fully trusting that the nanny would never let anything happen to her boy. And nothing did.  

So whilst we all acknowledged the hurdles, most of us expressed a real desire to pursue social justice in our engaging with our workers. I think we may need to discuss this again, looking at some practical steps to help us in crossing this cross-cultural and cross economic divide right here in our own homes.

On a similar theme, another mom mentioned how she is very conscious of how she engages with the car guards at shops. She recognises them as men who have made an effort to get up in the morning, and take responsibility for watching over other people's cars. She knows that they would most likely wish they were doing some other work. Given the unemployment rate, the chance of find work are so slim. They could have chosen to be involved in crime but here they are, wearing their uniforms, greeting people, helping with heavy parcels and clearing away the trolleys. The least we can do is to look them in the eye and thank them. Something feels very wrong as one watches people who leave the shop, and rather begrudgingly allow the car guard to push their trolly to their car, put the parcels in the boot - without acknowledging their existence, without greeting or thanking or sometimes without even looking at them. What are we teaching our children about other people if that is how we respond to those who are seemingly unimportant.

So social justice isn't only about breaking down the massive walls of racism, poverty and inequality or about only about challenging government policy or society's thinking - it is about our every day interactions with everyday people.

A Compassionate Society

A Compassionate Society - quote from Jean Vanier

What sort of society do we want? There are, for me, a few principles. A society that encourages us to break open the shell of selfishness and self-centredness contains the seeds of a society where people are honest, truthful, and loving. A society can function well only if those within are concerned, not only with their own needs or the needs of those who immediately surround them, but by the needs of all, that is to say, by the common good and the family of nations. Each one of us, I believe, is on a journey towards this openness where we risk to love.

Growth toward openness means dialogue, trusting in others, listening to them, particularly to those who say things we don't like to hear, speaking together about our mutual needs and how we might grow to new things. The birth of a good society comes when people start to trust each other, to share with each other, and to feel concerned for each other.

- Jean Vanier, Becoming Human, p. 34

Compassion

You often hear people saying, "oh children can be so cruel". I have seen evidence of this... watching kids tease each other, saying hurtful things, picking on eachothers weaknesses and then of course there is the whole world of bullying. Is this a given, is it something that we must just come to accept, that kids do and say cruel things? Or can we plant in their hearts a seed of compassion, can this seed be nurtured and watered so that one day our kids choose to stand up for those who are weak and for those who are different?

We started our session reflecting on an incident witnessed by a mother of a child with special needs. I have a little boy with a genetic syndrome and so enjoy reading blogs of others on the same journey. Click on this link to read a beautifully written account of how her little girl encounters two very different attitudes at a public swimming pool. Through the descriptive story-telling, it becomes clear that we as adults have a crucial role in shaping the attitudes of our children (and grandchildren) - especially when it comes to modelling compassion and acceptance of those who live, look, talk, walk, smell, sound or function differently to us.

This kick-started a discussion on how we can be intentional about planting those seeds of compassion..here are some thoughts that were shared, not in any order of importance - rather like seeds being scattered and falling randomly, each as important as the next, and each with the potential to grow into something significant. As usually we asked more questions than we found answers - we pray that God will help each of us to find our own unique way of living out the answers within our own families.

Children have the capacity to show compassion, they have the capacity to understand how others feel. This is rooted first in learning about feelings, their own feelings. We can help our children to do this by firstly developing a vocab to describe the various feelings, the positive ones and the negative ones. This can be done in fun ways, in games, in reading books about feelings. It can also be done in the moment of the feeling itself.

Knowing that children can feel deeply for other people, how do we not overwhelm them with the issues of social injustice, whilst at the same time exposing them to people who are different from themselves, who live different lives in different places and who face different challenges. We don't want to caccoon our kids from all the realities of the injust world. But how do we do so in a way that doesn't crush their spirits. One mom shared how eager her 5 year old was to give away all her clothes to a beggar who came to their door. Mom was not sure this man would be honourable, would he sell the clothes for alcohol. Should she be teaching her daughter to be suspicious of people's motives, or should she just let her daughter enjoy the fun of giving? How do we teach our children to be discerning so that they don't grow up to be gulliable and potentially a victim of crime, whilst at the same time nurturing this joyous response to helping someone else.

Developing compassion for another person is usually birthed in taking time to be with that person, to build friendship with that person. Often we first reach out to those who are weak or who need help out of a sense of knowing it is the right thing to do; or out of a sense of calling; and usually the tender feelings of compassion comes after as he have connected with this individual. How do we create that time in our lives with our children, knowing that time is finite - if we make time for this; we are saying no to something else in our lives. We so need God's guidance in how to manage our time, and to know what to prioritise in the various seasons of our lives.

Compassion is linked to understanding that being different is OK, and that we ourselves as different from some people and that is OK. How do our children learn about diversity and difference if we only expose them to people who are exactly the same as us in terms of race, economic background, and religion. Even choosing where we live and which schools we send our kids to is a decision that will affect their ability to nurture the seed of compassion.

Compassion starts small. In the home, for our siblings. In our neighbourhood, for the child next door. In our classrooms, for the child sitting next to me. Compassion is not only about recognising the massive social injustices in our country and responding with love and care and justice; it is also needed in our everyday places where people are hurting and feeling lonely or sad.

We turn our eyes to Jesus, who demonstrated compassion for his broken world, by coming alongside us in our places of pain and struggle, and who died on the cross to bring us new life. He will teach us and inspire us how to make our parenting compassion-full; and thus our children will also be compassion-full. 

Kids & generosity

A last thought on generosity before tomorrow night when we move on to our next topic.

It was only towards the end of our previous gathering that we managed to focus on how we inspire our children towards generosity. I was unfortunately called away from some of the discussion by my little one who needed some mother TLC, so I missed some of the sharing. 

However these three questions stick with me - and have prompted me to grapple with the issue on a deeper level than I would have otherwise.

Do I want the only picture that my children get from me regarding generosity to be one of me handing money through my car window to a beggar? In South Africa we cannot avoid the beggars who stand at most traffic lights, hoping for mercy. They certainly challenge our generosity and can be a wonderful opportunity for us to discuss giving with your children. Yet is this the only opportunity - one that is often a brief encounter, where there is the distance of being inside the car and the poor, the needy, the one without power being slightly removed from us. There is no relationship there, there is no chance for the giver to also receive. It is not a complete picture of generosity. So how can we as parents create opportunities for more fuller displays of generosity, where God's generosity to us is mirrored. No easy answers here, I am afraid, each of us needs to pursue this with God's guidance and grace.

I want to explore this journey of learning to be generous, and I want my kids to come along with me on that journey, but how do I help them understand fully, and how do I help them learn from my victories and not my less victorious moments? No quick answer here either. Just a cute story that highlights part of this question: One mom shared she is faced with many people who are begging and can't give to all of them, especially in this season where her finances are very tight. She is trying to ask God's to tell her which person He wants her to give to. Driving in the car, approaching a traffic light where she sees she will be asked, she says to her 4 year old daughter, "Lets ask Jesus if He wants us to give to this man". They both pray and listen for a prompting from the Holy Spirit. The daughter gives a certain reply God wants you to give to this man, and you must give paper money.

Is this God speaking through her daughter or is this just the words of a little girl who cannot yet fully understand the concept of money and of poverty?

I want to get to that stage where I give cheerfully and obediently when God prompts, even if the giving is sacrificial, but how do I balance that with the need to be a responsible parent who ensures my kids needs are met? Sacrificial giving is all about giving beyond one's ability, in faith that God will supply one's needs. This is more challenging when one considers that one might not have enough for the basics for one's child. Is having children a legitimate reason to not ever give sacrificially? Again each of us needs to look to God for His direction and guidance to work this out in each of our families.

Much that we need to work through - good thing that Jesus is the author and the perfecter of our faith...we can trust Him to show us how.

'Always Enough' by Rolland & Heidi Baker-Book Review

At Moms 4 Justice we were discussing the topic of generosity - our own and God’s, when I remembered a book I read in preparation for us moving to SA called ‘Always Enough’ by Rolland and Heidi Baker. This book was such a challenge to me that in fact I couldn’t finish it the first time I read it back in 2009. Each page is filled with miracles of God’s provision alongside overwhelming statistics relating to poverty. These became spiritual and physical challenges to me to take God out of the small box I had contained Him in and watch Him intervene in extreme situations.

Heidi and Rolland Baker set out to reach the poorest of people in Mozambique, to show them God’s love and to put the good news of the gospel to the test in a place where nothing else will do. At the time of writing the book, Mozambique had suffered years of civil war and the poverty was then compounded by overwhelming floods in many regions leaving thousands stranded and desperate. The Bakers’ wanted to put their years of theological training into practice and see whether God still uses miracles. The book focuses on their efforts to set up a children’s home and to provide for the forgotten children of Mozambique. They saw physically and emotionally abused children being restored and thriving because of God’s healing. They also went into refugee camps set up after the floods and provided aid where other international relief agencies couldn’t cope with the demand.

Some examples of amazing miracles they witnessed are: A pot of chilli offered to feed a family of 4, when prayed over, stretched to feeding over 100 people; No Mozambiquan they have ever invited to know Jesus has ever said no!; People were raised from the dead, sight restored to the blind and mobility restored to physically disabled people. The needs are extreme, and so the response is extreme!

One of the things that struck me was the claims that there’s ‘always enough’ and yet that didn’t mean they didn’t go hungry, or were always comfortable in what they were doing. There were times of hunger for the Bakers, their family and workers; Heidi wore the same 2 dresses only for 1 whole year; the family contracted diseases that they came into contact with; Heidi suffered break downs and an auto-immune disease…and yet they still say that because Christ died for us, ‘there’s always enough’. This really challenged my sense of what I consider to be enough…I always want to be comfortable, well fed and healthy!

I had noticed a trend in my relationship with God whereby I’d say I trust Him for provision, then I’d calmly go along believing that until the eleventh hour approached on whatever it is I was seeking provision for. As the deadline approached I’d start to inwardly panic, knowing that I should just trust God. Then He always came through, and I’d be left with a sense of relief…left emotionally exhausted, extremely grateful, and quick to remind myself that of course I trusted Him all along, and never doubted!! This book reminds me that God is our supreme provider and He is wholly trustworthy.

As you read this, be prepared to be inspired, challenged and changed. The phrase ‘always enough’ is so applicable to the situations of our lives today.

Generosity Stew

Our sharing time this month was like one of those tasty winter stews, where every mouthful brings a different flavour. I am sure that I was not able to note all the brilliant perspectives, points and ponderings that were shared – but here are a few tasty morsels to get you chewing on this whole generosity thing:  

Giving is about responding to God’s call to give and not stressing too much about the outcome of the giving. That’s God’s concern. Our concern is that we are obedient to the His voice when He asks us to give.

God is generous and He does provide, but one must guard against seeing His provision as a sign of His goodness. God is good regardless of whether there has been provision or not. If there has been a lack of a sign of provision it doesn’t mean that He is less good.

As we have to learn to give, we also have to learn to receive generosity from others. To receive it with an open heart, and not feel that one is now indebted to that person and that one now has to perform. Rather, just as the giver has to keep her eyes on Jesus and not stress about the outcome of the gift, so the receiver has to keep her eyes on Jesus too – and respond to His directing rather than feel she owes the giver.

Generosity is not just about giving money – I can be generous with who I am

I can be generous in the way that I talk to people, in my conversations
I can be generous in focussing on the issue and not the person in times of conflict
I can be generous by not holding grudges against people
I can be generous by thinking the best about other people’s intentions and motives
I can be generous by respecting the dignity of each person, including the beggar at the traffic lights - I can look the beggar in the eye and greet him or her, even when I don't feel right about giving money
I can be generous with my time

One mom shared she had a longing to see God’s miraculous provision – inspired by the book Always Enough (a book review to be posted soon)  - and yet recognises that in order to allow God to move in the miraculous, she needs to be in a place of complete desperation. This is hard. She and her husband are trusting God for finances and so have experienced being totally dependent on God. She shared about the cycle of being in need, trusting God for provision, then a rising sense of panic as the deadline approaches, and the relief and joy of the 11^th hour provision.

Someone wondered why God’s provision was often at the 11^th hour, another wondered if it was because we so often give at the 11^th hour having um-ed and ah-ed as to whether we should give or not.

A lady who did not seem to grapple with the cycle of trust/panic/relief was Corrie ten Boom. She knew Jesus well enough to trust him even into the 11^th hour. Another book review will elaborate on this and hopefully inspire us to do the same.

Giving out of guilt, manipulation or coercion is not generosity. God loves a cheerful giver (2 orinthians 9: 7). If you don't feel you can give cheerfully, then maybe you shouldn't be giving, or you need some Holy Spirit work on your heart?

Generosity is totally enhanced when giving is done in the context of relationship.  

Would love to hear your thoughts on generosity…

God is generous

A while back a friend referred to God as being generous, and I was struck by the fact that I found it hard to embrace this description of God. Looking around at the poverty and at so many struggling with finances, I realised that I did not really believe that God is generous.

I have recently read Is God to Blame by Gregory Boyd where he challenges us to understand and know God only through Jesus, and not let experiences we have in life define God. So I asked God to show His generosity to me through  Jesus and was led to the story of the loaves and fishes in Matthew 14.  

You know how the story goes, Jesus multiplies two fishes and five loaves to feed a crowd of thousands. What hit me as I read it this time was that there were 12 baskets full of food left over – God provided more than enough. So those 12 baskets are for me a visual image to remind me of God’s generosity.

One of the other mom’s at our gathering shared that she always thinks about her own father's words when he responded to her request for financial help during her poorer student days. He reminded her of what Jesus said: “which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?” Matt 7 verse 9-11

What is your image of God’s generosity?

Understanding God’s generosity is an important step towards being freed to be generous, and to share with our children how they too can be generous.

Restore the places long devastated

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion -
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair,
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planing of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations

Isaiah 61 v 1 - 4

Let justice roll

Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings
I will have not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.

Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Amos 5 v 22 - 24

How has God shaped you?

At our first official gathering of Moms4Justice we started off by thinking back on how God brought each of us to a point where we cared about issues of social justice. What helped us to understand that being a Christian isn't just about our personal salvation and making sure we get to heaven one day, that includes far more? That it is about partnering God in His glorious plan to restore the whole world to the way that He originally designed it to be, to establish amongst us people His kingdom and all that this represents, for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Love, Justice, Peace.

It was fascinating to hear each other's stories of God's grace in bringing this revelation to our lives. Some hearts were transformed through watching their parents live out an authentic faith which included caring for those who were broken. One lady shared about her mother, a teacher, who would bring home some of the poorer pupils and give them a bath, food and lots of love. She remembers watching her mom sharing out her clothes with these children, realising that being a christian is about giving, sacrificing your time and love. What an example.

Another shared her how her parents faith-in-action was a springboard for her personal journey which lead her to joining a ministry team after school. She remembers a specific moment when God spoke to her directly about bringing hope to the youth of South Africa - planting a vision within her that would break her heart over social justice issues.

Some of us were shaped by our friends who were passionate about social justice. Being around people who live out their desire to see Jesus' love and restoration flow into people's lives is very infectious.

Being exposed to clear teaching on God's heart for the poor and His desire to see justice restored in communities and nations has helped a few of us conceptualise the longings and yearnings that God had been putting on our hearts.


God spoke to some of us through the Scriptures. One mother shared from Amos 5. Through this passage God had showed her that He cares more about our actions of justice, than the words we offer in song. Very challenging. Another read from Isaiah 61 - a powerful passage showing God's unquestionable concern for injustice.

One woman shared how God birthed in her such a holy discontent with her life and work; and gave her a deep longing for doing something that would impact this world positively, that she resigned from her job. Not sure what the future would hold but desparate for her faith to be lived out in a way that would make a difference. Bit by bit God put her into situations where she could partner those who were working for social justice.

We were all touched when a mother shared her story of experiencing injustice  personally. She has a visual impairment and grew up facing injustice from teachers and children alike. At an early age she and her parents had to find ways to deal with the unfair treatment she experienced and the pain associated with it. She reminded us that injustice isn't only about being materially poor; there is brokenness in all of us. She also can bear witness that God can indeed heal the broken heart.

God uses many different ways to bring us to a place where our hearts break for the broken hearted, where we find ourselves angry at people being treated unfairly, and where we know in our heart of hearts that God can't stand it either. And where we have hope that He can bring restoration. We can trust that He will guide each of us as mothers to share this passion with our children in a way that makes sense to them.

God's shape for this group

Some of us met to pray about this fledgling group. We don't just want to create our own thing, but long to walk in obedience to God allowing Him to shape this group and breathe His life-giving spirit into our times together.

Some of sensed pictures from the Holy Spirit giving us some clues about how God would like this group to grow and develop. This is what we felt God was sharing with us.

No one size fits all.
The picture was of a group of ladies seeing an inspiring design. Each goes home and sews a garment - one sews a dress, the other a pair of trousers and so on. If a person were to look at all of these garments they would not look the same, though they had been inspired by the same vision. As we grapple with raising our kids to be passionate about justice it will look different in our differnt homes. No pressure to do what another mom is doing.

The effort will be worthwhile.
The picture was of a mother pushing a wheel barrow up a hill, straining, taking much of her effort. She is wondering if it is all worthwhile. As she finally gets to the top she sees on the otherside a garden that is fruitful, producing and fully functional, and she knows that it was all worth it. An encouragement to push through those tough times when it just seems like an uphill battle. And a hope that our group will become like that garden where we can join together to produce a fruitful harvest.

An open and outward looking space
The picture was of a clay bowl on a wheel, being shaped. God shaping us as mothers. Us, as mothers, shaping our children. The bowl was not enclosed and small, but flatish and open; being shaped by upward facing hands. A sign of openess, of sharing, of generosity, of outward-looking, and of receiving.

Strategy and Warring on behalf of our children
A picture of women, informally gathered, sitting around a board and moving the pieces to strategic positions. Connecting the dots. Networking. Strategising. And warring on behalf of our children.

Walking Upstream - what is in the name?

When we were praying about God's vision for the Moms4Justice group God impressed upon my heart a picture of a group of women walking in a river. They were walking upstream, against the flow of the mighty water. Around their waists they had tied a rope which was connected to each other - this meant that if any of the women fell, she would not be dragged away by the current, but would be held firm by the other women.

As moms who are seeking ways to live out the values social justice and compassion in such a way that our kids get inspired to become kingdom builders, we need to support and encourage each other.
Choosing to instil values of standing up to injustice and greed is indeed walking upstream. Finding ways to teach our children to show practical love and compassion to the poor and acceptance to those who are different is also walking upstream.
Getting our children to see the ultimate benefits of living simply in a world of massive materialism is again walking upstream.

Moms4Justice - Our History

Moms4Justice has emerged from a small group of moms and tots called Toddlers for Justice (T4J). About 3 years ago Heather and Mauri felt led by God to start a group for toddlers and their mothers. The weekly group was based at The Warehouse Trust, bringing the joy and noise of toddlers into this workplace whilst also aligning the heart and purpose of the tot group with The Warehouse's value of social justice. We moms used this group to provide fun activities that had an emphasis on God's design and purpose for their lives.

Currently the T4J group is changing shape as many of the mom's now have a second child. We will continue meeting weekly at The Warehouse with our younger ones. For our older 3 & 4 year olds we will be meeting once a month at The Warehouse on a Saturday morning and doing some child-friendly activity, arranged by The Warehouse volunteer co-ordinator, that will support the vision of The Warehouse, which is to serve the church in it's response to poverty and injustice.

The Moms4Justice side of this group sprung forth during a recent prayer time where we felt God inspiring us to gather together to explore how to share the issues of poverty and injustice with our kids, in our homes, in our everyday life. But more about that in the next post.