Our Stories
Lions in our Midst
By Char Forslund | posted 02/22/2007
“You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say or do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.” (Luke 6:43-44)
I collect lions. It started over 25 years ago. We were worshipping at Seattle First Covenant then and the pastor, John Nilson, and I shared a love of all things C.S. Lewis, especially the Chronicles of Narnia. We read and talked together about a multitude of other books, but the love affair with Narnia always circled back. John Nilson was one of my best friends, my pastor, my teacher, a fellow searcher and pilgrim.
During the time he was my pastor, while our family was on a lengthy “research of our roots” trip in Scandinavia, I got word that John had been diagnosed with advanced, terminal colon cancer…it was likely he would be dead before we returned home. Hoping that he would still be alive, I bought a crystal lion for him when we toured the Boda Crystal Factory in Sweden. The minute I saw the lion, I thought of Pastor John and Aslan, the Christ figure in the Narnia books. A pure crystal lion representing Christ for my exceptional friend. John was within a few weeks of death when we arrived home. Within days Ron and I visited him and I gave him the Boda lion, with a card and note saying, “John, this is to remind you, from the inside out, whenever you look at it, that God is God and He does know what he is doing.” That day we laughed. I will always be thankful for the last weeks and conversations allowed to me to soak up his searcher’s spirit and faith, even from his hospital room. Once he said to me, “Who’s pastoring the pastor?” A very precious memory.
The following March, on my birthday, his wife Nancy and daughter Lisa gave the Boda lion and note back to me…and so the collection started. There was a stretch of time when everyone from our kids to mere acquaintances brought lions to me, a wild assortment of lions! Some are beautiful creations, like the one our son, James, found on a family trip to Canada and gave to me. Covered in real fur, he truly is a fine lion. One I have framed and hung at home is an eight layer papercut that our daughter, Sheri, labored over for weeks when she was in high school. Carol Witty brought me a small white onyx lion from Mexico. JaLynne contributed a “paint-by-number” of a lion family when she was about eleven. I have silly cartoons, art projects from Sunday School and camps, a poem or two, and WAY over a hundred different versions of the lion: The Lion! I can still tell you the story of how I came to possess each and every one … well, most of them! One day in the Southcenter area I went into a shop and saw a small statue of a lion bursting out of a cracked egg shell. I grabbed Ron and said “Look! Look! New Life in Christ!” He smiled even though he didn’t see that; but he went back later and bought the pricey item for me for Christmas.
Lately I have looked at my collection of lions a lot I have been prompted by the surprising unexpected death of our sister in Christ, Diane Anton. I was not one of her close friends or family, but I do know that, to many, Diane was the representation of the searcher, and pilgrim, and faithful servant of God that John Nilson was to me many years ago. She shared her love and enthusiasm, and faith in Jesus Christ openly and honestly. She was a lion in our midst.
So, here is the challenge: do we know who they are for us today? The lions in our midst. Do we cherish them beyond the ordinary? Do we tell them what they mean to us? Do we pray for those treasured “lions” diligently? Will I stand assured in the body of believers and say to others: “This person is a lion of faith to me!” I dare us all to fill in the blank: _______________ is a lion in the midst of us! Take the challenge; call, or write, or e-mail, or speak face-to-face . . . whatever, just do it! We could be a roaring congregation by Sunday!
Love and Joy!
To respond to this message, email Char at charforslund@comcast.net.
Char
|
“You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say or do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.” (Luke 6:43-44)
I collect lions. It started over 25 years ago. We were worshipping at Seattle First Covenant then and the pastor, John Nilson, and I shared a love of all things C.S. Lewis, especially the Chronicles of Narnia. We read and talked together about a multitude of other books, but the love affair with Narnia always circled back. John Nilson was one of my best friends, my pastor, my teacher, a fellow searcher and pilgrim. During the time he was my pastor, while our family was on a lengthy “research of our roots” trip in Scandinavia, I got word that John had been diagnosed with advanced, terminal colon cancer…it was likely he would be dead before we returned home. Hoping that he would still be alive, I bought a crystal lion for him when we toured the Boda Crystal Factory in Sweden. The minute I saw the lion, I thought of Pastor John and Aslan, the Christ figure in the Narnia books. A pure crystal lion representing Christ for my exceptional friend. John was within a few weeks of death when we arrived home. Within days Ron and I visited him and I gave him the Boda lion, with a card and note saying, “John, this is to remind you, from the inside out, whenever you look at it, that God is God and He does know what he is doing.” That day we laughed. I will always be thankful for the last weeks and conversations allowed to me to soak up his searcher’s spirit and faith, even from his hospital room. Once he said to me, “Who’s pastoring the pastor?” A very precious memory. The following March, on my birthday, his wife Nancy and daughter Lisa gave the Boda lion and note back to me…and so the collection started. There was a stretch of time when everyone from our kids to mere acquaintances brought lions to me, a wild assortment of lions! Some are beautiful creations, like the one our son, James, found on a family trip to Canada and gave to me. Covered in real fur, he truly is a fine lion. One I have framed and hung at home is an eight layer papercut that our daughter, Sheri, labored over for weeks when she was in high school. Carol Witty brought me a small white onyx lion from Mexico. JaLynne contributed a “paint-by-number” of a lion family when she was about eleven. I have silly cartoons, art projects from Sunday School and camps, a poem or two, and WAY over a hundred different versions of the lion: The Lion! I can still tell you the story of how I came to possess each and every one … well, most of them! One day in the Southcenter area I went into a shop and saw a small statue of a lion bursting out of a cracked egg shell. I grabbed Ron and said “Look! Look! New Life in Christ!” He smiled even though he didn’t see that; but he went back later and bought the pricey item for me for Christmas. Lately I have looked at my collection of lions a lot I have been prompted by the surprising unexpected death of our sister in Christ, Diane Anton. I was not one of her close friends or family, but I do know that, to many, Diane was the representation of the searcher, and pilgrim, and faithful servant of God that John Nilson was to me many years ago. She shared her love and enthusiasm, and faith in Jesus Christ openly and honestly. She was a lion in our midst. So, here is the challenge: do we know who they are for us today? The lions in our midst. Do we cherish them beyond the ordinary? Do we tell them what they mean to us? Do we pray for those treasured “lions” diligently? Will I stand assured in the body of believers and say to others: “This person is a lion of faith to me!” I dare us all to fill in the blank: _______________ is a lion in the midst of us! Take the challenge; call, or write, or e-mail, or speak face-to-face . . . whatever, just do it! We could be a roaring congregation by Sunday!
Love and Joy! To respond to this message, email Char at charforslund@comcast.net. |
