Nest and Gather

Our responsibility to represent Jesus matters immensely more to Him than the reasons we find to argue and dispute.

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This time of year, a persistent longing, almost a craving, comes over me to nest and gather.

Autumn is the season of nesting and gathering as creatures and humans alike prepare for the long winter days ahead.

I’ll spend a significant amount of time tending to the corners, closets, and cluttered areas in our home. When I’ve dealt sufficiently with what others don’t see, I’ll bring Autumn inside.

Gathering big pumpkins and assorted mums, I’ll decorate the porch. I’ll wash the flannel blankets and quilts and stuff them in the big basket to be pulled out on chilly evenings. I’ll fill old buckets with crisp apples and change some of the decor around our home to reflect the season. I pull out some of our favorite table games and stack them in a large basket, inviting anyone to start a game around the table. Soft lighting from candles and lamps make up for the lack of a fireplace.

I find it rather delightful to use what I already have, and I’m content to keep it simple.

This nesting and gathering is all about tending. Tending to the needs in my home. The areas that get ignored are dealt with. The people who live here and the people who gather here are all considered and looked after. Isn’t that what home is truly all about?

I’ve also felt a persistent tugging inside my heart to “nest and gather” outside of my home.

It goes without saying that there is an overwhelming need for kindness, generosity, hope…all the things that change entire days, even lives, for people who need Jesus.

Our responsibility to represent Jesus matters immensely more to Him than the reasons we find to argue and dispute.

I believe things could change around us if we lived from a place of belief that, as ambassadors for Christ, we have the answer to despair: Jesus.

Today, in this pause before a brand new week, consider your world- your homes, workplaces, universities, markets…all the places you come and go.
What needs tending?
Who needs Jesus?
Who needs to be gathered and heard?
How can I shine Christ’s light in the darkness?

“All of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” – 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NLT)

“Jesus, please open our eyes. Make us bold as we reflect You into the darkness around us. Help us as we use what we have been given to tend to the needs of others. With every heartbreak, may our hearts be doors opened to love, mercy, and compassion, that ultimately lead to reconciliation with God. We ask for all of this, in Your name, so that everyone gets closer to Jesus. Amen.”

Written by Sheila Taylor

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Holy Beautiful Life

Featured Image by Peggychoucair from Pixabay

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Jennifer Howard is a Kingdom Winds Collective Member and Founder of The Holy Beautiful Ministry for Women.

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