The Lost Donkeys

I was having tea with a friend the other day and we were talking about a question I had on my mind. I was wondering out loud, why is it that when I am asking an answer from God, He does answer.. but very often it is not the answer I am looking for. Jesus seemed to do the same thing when He walked the earth. He spoke in Parables and sometimes they seemed to be confusing. Almost like a riddle. Where there is an answer inside the answer, where sometimes the answer seems to put one on a different path and a different outcome than what we were expecting.

God always answers the question on our hearts.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

My friend pointed out the story of Saul who went looking for his father’s lost donkeys (Read 1 Samuel Chapter 9). Saul and a servant went searching everywhere and eventually their search brought them to the town where the Prophet Samuel lived. They decided to seek the prophet’s help in locating the donkeys. But God had a different idea. Samuel tells Saul not to worry about the donkeys because they had been found. All Saul could think about was the lost donkeys. But God had a different purpose in mind: God had gone ahead of Saul and told Samuel the Prophet to anoint Saul as King.

Sometimes the thing at the top of our minds is something very lowly when we compare it to what God has in mind for our lives. Stand back from your life. Ask God to show you His thoughts over the situation. The answer to the small things will be there anyway. What we think is a major problem is a very small thing for God to resolve if we focus on what is important to Him.

Giving Christmas Away

Not many things in life are more satisfying than giving to someone anonymously. Giving in this way is its own reward. Giving without any expectation of reward. Except that I do expect a return on the sowing of my seed "to the universe". Somehow the joy I receive just in giving is one part of the reward, yet, I am sure my own experience of Christmas each year is the more blessed because of it.


In South Africa (especially Johannesburg) many people close their businesses early in December and travel to other parts of the country (or the world) to spend Christmas with family. Which is possibly why these "Christmas events" happen during the month of November, whether Christmas parties for children, office Christmas lunches and so on. The rest of the world "does" Christmas only in December. Christmas displays are already everywhere in the shops in South Africa... and we don't mind. Personally I am happy to have Jesus' Christ's name in "Christ"mas displayed everywhere for longer. It's just great that He is remembered by everyone whether they consciously  it or recognise Him or not.

Each year, Acts of Love (click on the name to be directed to their Facebook page) arranges an event for children from local orphanages: a Christmas Fun Day where they are entertained and spoiled and  each child receives a wonderful gift. The gift is in the form of a Christmas Box filled with delights, treasures, perhaps a few practical items (toiletries and/or items for school), clothing, toys, sweets, ornaments, etc. The whole event is extremely well organised and the Acts Church members are invited (for a small fee). Of course the costs for the orphans/underprivileged children is provided/covered by the local congregation. Anyone wishing to provide one (or several) Christmas boxes one gets given a name, age, gender and "suggestion" list of what items to fill the box with. Last year I went shopping prayerfully, as if I knew the girl and found myself gravitating towards certain colour themes in the items bought. I am sure the Holy Spirit directed each purchase to give the girl more joy.

Acts of Love Christmas Box Project

If you would like to get involved, find a similar project in your area. If you live near Midrand, (Johannesburg, South Africa) get in touch with Acts of Love via their Facebook page. Here is a link to the Christmas Event this year: Acts of Love Christmas Fun Day. Or you could get hold of Acts of Love via the Acts of Love website. It is wonderful that although this ministry is linked to the Acts Christian Church the group has had the most amazing response from the local Midrand community of all faiths and cultures - Muslim, Hindu and Christian. It is a wonderful outreach project. In 2010 more than 800 Christmas Boxes were distributed by Acts of Love to children in local orphanages.

Practical Love

Recently our Acts of Love Group started a project to provide teddy’s to the youngest orphans as part of our Christmas in a Box program. Last year Acts of Love distributed Christmas Box gifts to over 800 orphans in the Midrand area. If you want to become involved with this particular project you can find the details on Facebook here: Acts of Love. I was motivated to knit a Teddy for this project when I heard it reported that on a recent visit to a particular orphanage, one of the Acts of Love co-ordinators described how a 3 year old girl in the orphanage picked up a brick off the ground and crooned to it, playing with the brick as if it were a doll. Heartbreaking. So a few of us felt inspired to knit at least one (more for the more productive knitters) teddy for a needy child.

Trauma Teddy will give a little one so much love!

Trauma Teddy Pattern

This pattern has been adapted from a pattern designed to distribute to child trauma victims. Teddies can be made in a variety of styles. The pattern describes a teddy with pants and a shirt, but the pattern can be varied. The important thing is that the teddy has a personality of its own! 

Double ply wool. (No mohair or angora).

Needles: No 9 (3.75 mm) or no 10 (3.25mm) needles. (Loose knitters use No 10) 

Legs and Pants
Leg 1
• Cast on 12 stitches
• Knit 24 rows
• Change colour for pants
• Knit 8 rows
• Leave stitches on needle
  
Leg 2
• Same as Leg 1

Pants
• Join both legs by knitting across both legs
• Knit 14 rows to finish pants

Shirt
• Change colour for shirt
• Knit 12 rows

Sleeve
• Cast on 12 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows
• Knit 18 rows
• Next 2 rows cast off 12 stitches (this forms the arms, 24 stitches remain)

Head
• Knit 34 rows. Cast off.


Hands
• Using same colour as for face and leg, cast on 10 stitches, knit 10 rows, cast off (x2)

Repeat this procedure to obtain the other side of the Trauma Teddy
(I did fewer rows, I made the legs shorter. Fine as long as both sides match)

Finishing
• Sew on face.
• Join up leaving a gap at top of the head for filling.
• Fill with filling.
• Sew top of head together.
• Gather around the base of head to form neck.

• Pinch corners of head and sew to form ears.