Anyone who comes to my office will notice several things about me. I like things neat and orderly. “Be gone, clutter, in the name of Jesus.” If you are thinking that I am “one of those people,” then take a pause. Anyone can see from the stack trays on my desk that I’m okay with collecting paper. Alright, up to a certain point, but it needs to be lined up and have an orderly appearance. On second thought, maybe I am one of those people. We can blame this on my dad. He had a place for everything, loved to label stuff, and thought life worked better when things were neat. What can I say? I am my daddy’s daughter.
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. 1 Corinthians 14:40 (CSB)
Something else that my office reveals about me is that connecting with people is important to me. In 2001, I began serving on staff at a church in Chicago. When people visited my office, they often commented that it felt warm and comfy. The same thing happened at the next church and even here at Forest Hills. Somewhere along the way, I realized that my desire for a comfy space was about more than a pretty room. For me, it is always about connecting and providing a safe place for others, especially for women who need a place to share their lives, their hurts, and their hopes.
In my office, I have a broken Willow Tree figurine holding a heart glued back together. This was a gift from a woman who attended my former church. In a recent move, her Willow Tree figurines had gotten broken. When she saw the broken heart, she glued it back together trying to save the figure because it was special. Afterwards, she felt inclined to give it to me because I shepherd women who have broken hearts. She had no idea that shortly after I accepted Christ, I prayed that God would heal my broken heart. And much of that healing has come as I have walked and connected with other women who, like me, are looking to Jesus as the healer of their broken hearts. As a women’s minister, I know that some of us have experienced greater brokenness than others, but everyone's heart has been broken in some way. I love that Jesus led a woman to give me a Willow Tree figurine with a heart that has been glued back together. It reminds me that Jesus is willing to do that for all of us. I’m blessed to get to be part of that process as I walk and connect with women.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (NIV)
Perhaps the most prominent thing in my office are three packed bookshelves, revealing that I love books. A love for reading began when I received my first Trixie Belden mystery book at age eleven. I still have that book, along with fourteen others from the series, on one of my bookshelves at home. In my office, you’ll find books by my favorite authors, which are strategically located on the shelves. But, when I look at them, they remind me of how much Jesus has taught me. When I first became a Christian at twenty-six and started reading the Bible, my love for reading went into overdrive as I soaked up the Scriptures. Then one day I picked up a notebook and a pen along with my Bible. An interesting thing started to happen. As I read the Bible, I began to write down things that I noticed and how those things applied to my life. At that time, I didn’t realize I was doing hermeneutics. That came five years later sitting in a seminary class when I realized that God used my love of reading and learning to teach me how to study the Bible. So now when I look at those books, I see how God created me to learn, gifted me to teach, and inspired me to pour both into others. Perhaps that is why Ezra, a teacher from the Old Testament, became my inspiration.
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD,
and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
Now that I have shared some of my story, I invite you to come by my office and share yours. Who knows? In that comfy space, you may feel free to share about one of your obsessions (pro-clutter or anti-clutter) or what Jesus is teaching you. I would love that, and I’m pretty sure Jesus would love it too.
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