But today was just a bit different in the gifts they had brought. Judy’s older brother Ben had printed the words to several very old hymns he knew the nursing home residents loved and loved to sing. Ben had used his computer program to print the words extra large so those with poor vision could even read the words.
Tina came up with a wonderful idea when she had Ben print an extra copy of each of the hymns. She immediately took her copies of the hymns to the kitchen, and got a mixing bowl out of the cupboard. Little Judy was always interested in learning new things that are done in the kitchen. But in all her seven years she’d never seen a recipe that used hymns. This she had to witness for herself.
Since Tina has a wonderful talent for recruiting anyone anywhere, Judy was given an apron a big wooden spoon to go with the mixing bowl. Tina carefully got a cup of flour from the flour bin and poured it in the bowl. Judy became more confused than ever. Some water was added to the flour and directions were given to mix the water and flour until all the lumps were gone. While the seven year old stirred dutifully, she would glance at the stack of hymn sheets and ask herself, “Am I making a hymn cake?”
All questions were answered when Judy’s mixture became the paste that glued the hymn sheets to thin cardboard like that found in store bought shirts, and on the back of paper tablets. Tina recruited her brother Ben to cut the “hymn boards” into varied shape pieces and the result being hymn puzzles for the nursing home residents.
So now you understand the reason for the great pride in little Judy’s step as she followed the other kids into the nursing home.
After all the gifts and puzzles were distributed, Judy walked over to old Mrs. Beemer. Without saying anything Judy pulled out one of the computer hymn sheets Ben had discarded at home. Little Judy handed it to the silver haired lady. Mrs. Beemer saw the misspelled words and the reasons Ben had trashed the page, but then she noticed at the bottom of the page a row of X’s and O’s ending with a heart surely drawn by a little girl.
Old Mrs. Beemer pointed at the X’s and O’s and then pointed at little Judy. Judy countered with pointing at her own chest and shaking her head yes. Across the room the rest of the kids couldn’t figure out why an old sheet of computer paper would cause an 83 year old lady and a seven year old lady to hug real big.
God’s message of love, hope, and Salvation is so rich and simple we can even use throw away sheets of paper to spread the love that began on the Cross of Calvary. (end of story)
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“So you see, Pastor? Flour Power refers to objects created with cardboard, flour and water paste, computer flavoring, little hands, and often silver hair. And what you took a picture of is Larry the Laptop Computer – Flour Powered.”
Pastor Tony had a smile from ear to ear and his insides were revved up too. “Mark, you’re not going to top that today. How about you asking God’s leading and provision for this new ‘Flour Power’ and we’ll get to work. Both men could hardly keep their cool as Mark prayed.
Now you just know before saying amen, he quoted:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love
him.
