Trinkets of Love

Trinkets.  Treasures.  Timeless pieces of our lives............

We all have them....especially those of us who are moms....but....even women who are not moms, often have little trinkets or treasures lying in desk drawers, in jewelry boxes, on armoire shelves, tucked away in velvet-lined boxes or hanging from the wall.......

a courtney creation
spring 2001 at age 7
c. faithe MTpics 2012
note:  the cross = our family she said
because of our faith in Christ!

This past week, my oldest daughter, home from college on the Christmas break, volunteered to prep our master bedroom for a painting job to take place in the month of March (when she's home again for Spring Break!).  I had a lot of "stuff" on the walls.....their age 1 portraits, the wedding bouquet I held in my sister Hope's wedding, wall hangings from my own wedding gifts, a calender, bulletin board, a wreath and art.  The desk drawers were also cleaned out and oh, what trinkets of love I found:  little coupons that had been tucked into my stocking by chubby little preschool hands:  "good for one dozen hugs"  "good for one chore";  Tiny photos of precocious preschoolers, handmade Mother's Day cards, handmade Valentine hearts, pottery mobiles (TWO!) created by my oldest.  These were all "trinkets of love" given freely from the best gifts God ever gave me:  my 2 daughters.

and those trinkets reminded me of the section in Philippians I was reading just last week over breakfast:

"therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy of being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."  Philippians 2:1-4

These little trinkets, made by each of my daughters, were not done out of selfishness but out of love.  Their little minds and hands liked creating things to bring me joy and to feel loved.  Both daughters love to meet my love language!   (gifts and acts of service) One daughter has "acts of service" as her primary language (the one who designed the coupons...and...she gave me more this year...see pic below).  The oldest daughter has "gifts" as her love language and loves giving and getting them....she also is an artist, thus the clay mobiles.  (See photo above)  She loves creating things, and I love receiving them because they speak of her love, devotion to her craft, and the creativity that God placed within her.

Coupons from Claire
Xmas stocking gifts for 2011
c. faithe MTpics 2012

The Bible is clear that we are to look out for the interests of others.  This doesn't mean be nosy about our friends' private lives but to truly be living in one accord, in the Spirit, as Believers, encouraging and edfiying one another.  It is encouraging to me when I receive something tangible from my daughters because I know they are thinking of me.  It is edifying to me when a good friend has a word from Scripture for me, or tells me she is praying for me, or asks me to pray for her.  It is very encouraging to me when people forgive each other or listen to the brokenness in our lives.  In fact, there is a quote from my Women of Faith devotional Bible that I really like, written by Patricia Hickman.  It states:  "even the broken parts of our lives become treasures to those we touch."

My daughters have left me treasures over the last 18 years.....treasures that I enjoy and keep close to my heart....treasures I do not want to toss away....treasures that I treasure!  And they don't expect anything back!! (well, ok, Claire usually wants a hug!).  Sometimes we do think of love as being a reciprocal act like "if I love you, then you'll love me".

But..what about the friend who really doesn't love you back?  Maybe something happened and she has trouble forgiving and forgetting?  She knows Love but has trouble with showing love.  Do we stop loving those kinds of people?  NO...this is when we need to EMBRACE the unselfish love of Jesus...and we need to pass it on...just like our little children pass on those treasures to us, we need to pass on the Love of Christ....

Time has flown so quickly since some of these trinkets have been given to me, presented in tiny hands so eager to show love.

And time passes by so quickly here on this earth.....let's pass on the trinkets of love in our love to others...whether they love us back or not....it doesn't matter.....their lives WILL be affected in some way because the Love of Jesus does not fail.  Life is too short to spend it in unforgiveness or perceived injustices.  

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13: 34 & 35 

now that is a trinket of love....a true Treasure:  the Love of Jesus.....

.....pass it on!

trinkets of love
c. faithe MTpics 2012