"THE OFFERING"

Here's Angie's story on how one of the prayer stations, "The Offering," was created. To learn a little bit more about Angie's creative process and prayer journey, see the previous post.

A few weeks before our 24/7 week of prayer, I had the privilege to be invited out to my friend Michelle’s house. She is a gourd artist and I’ve wanted to learn some basic skills for carving and how to use the various tools so she volunteered to teach me and let me play! The day before, however, I had no clue what I was going to make. As often happens to me when God wants to talk to me about art, He woke me in the middle of the night. I told him of my excitement but that I had no idea what I was going to make and asked Him what He would have me do. God gave me an immediate clear picture of a carved gourd with reaching hands. The inside was to be collaged with various reds and golds representing fire. God instructed me to have His names written on the side in Hebrew, and to title the piece “The Offering”.

I went to Michelle’s the following morning and was able to get the entire gourd carved but brought it home to finish cleaning it out and creating the remaining artwork on it. When it got to the Hebrew writing, I began getting very nervous since I’ve never even tried to write Hebrew! I began a mild argument with God trying to persuade him to let me do something different on the gourd but He does not change his mind. And He always provides help! My best friend Fran, is Jewish and her mother-in-law is a Hebrew teacher so I was pointed to some internet links for Hebrew names of God and Fran gave me a few pointers in the writing.

By the time the piece was finished, it was clear that it should be part of the 24/7 week of prayer. It gave the body an opportunity to give their own “offerings” to God by writing them on strips of red paper and putting them in the center of the gourd. This represented the fire for burnt offerings as they were offered to God.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, the One True God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Angie

It was awesome to see, day by day, the gourd fill to overflowing with people's "offerings," the red slips of paper. The creative process, the result, and what it inspired in others, truly were all offerings to the Lord.