One of the joys of my work with teenagers is setting a match to the flame of their imagination and watching it burn in beautiful ways. Some have said that what our troubled world lacks most is a constructive imagination, and I take my role very seriously as an "imagination-instigator."
Along those lines, the Christian community is becoming more fruitful in producing people with such abundance and life-giving imaginations. Whether it be through Blake Mycoskie and TOMS Shoes (http://www.tomsshoes.com/) or Chris Seay and the Advent Conspiracy (http://www.adventconspiracy.com/), God is shaping an imaginative re-creation of the ways we live, work, and give in ways that have the potential to bless our world and carry out God's mission. (Just yesterday, I even read an argument for fasting on Thanksgiving, but I'll save that discussion for another day . . . after I indulge in some Thanksgiving goodies!)
Nothing brings me more joy today than seeing our own youth catch such a vision. I am thrilled to say these little pockets of resistance to the status quo are popping up all over the fertile soil of our faith community's adolescent population, and I want to highlight just one of those stories for you here.
In many ways, Holly Davenport is quite the typical girl. She loves to shop, she loves a good TV show, and she loves the color purple. But rather than falling into the cultural trap that would allow her to define herself by these interests and pursuits, Holly has caught a vision for helping the most vulnerable of our world through her gifts and passions.
This past Friday, Holly had every reason to think about herself on her birthday. But instead of creating an event to accumulate more possessions for herself, Holly had a simple request for partygoers - bring a pillowcase and some bias tape. Why? Because, together, we were going to create dresses for girls in Africa (see the pic with this post for some finished products).
As we enter into this extended holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's), perhaps now is the time to re-consider our holiday traditions in light of the message of Advent. What would it look like to bring Faith, Hope, Peace, and Love to a world that needs them in major ways? Perhaps now is a great time to think about how you can spark your family's imagination and watch the flame burn throughout this Winter season.
1 comment:
Hi, I'm stopping in because a) you're an exceptional sewer and b) you seem to have a good heart. Right now in Africa girls miss 9 weeks of school a year on the average because of menstruation. They need cloth pads. Here's a list of Web sites that explain how to make them and a list of organizations that donate them. http://tinyurl.com/3tlhdcc
Thanks! Carrie
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