if there is a word to describe my friend olivia it is this one... refreshing. her sweet spirit. her sense of humor. that smile that lights up a room. the way she is so available to help. so eager to serve. so loving and gentle. all of those things are refreshing.
and she is refreshing in the way that it is described in proverbs...
proverbs 11:25
A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes (ravah) others
will be refreshed (yarah).
the word "refreshes/ravah" in that actually means...
to be satiated or saturated, have or drink one's fill
to take one's fill
to be drunk, be intoxicated
to drench, water abundantly, saturate
to saturate, water, cause to drink
and "refreshed/yarah" means...
to throw, shoot, cast, pour
to throw water, rain
to direct, teach, instruct
to throw water, rain
whoever drenches others, waters others, saturates others, causes others to drink deeply, to literally become drunk on the Holy Spirit will be directed, taught, instructed, thrown water on, rained down on...
and that refreshing olivia girl was RAINED DOWN ON this weekend. it was a short notice and on a really packed day baby shower. only about 30 people were expected to show up. i think there were more than double that number.
though "shower" isn't really the right word for this event. more like a monsoon. torrential downpour. deluge.
because she who refreshes other will be refreshed.
she who pours out her life into others will have rain THROWN upon her. and we did us some THROWING of rain upon our girl olivia.
everyone was there to celebrate not just olivia. she is awesome but everyone there knew who the Author and Perfecter of all good gifts is... there were there to also celebrate the gift of adoption. the miracle of adoption. the story of hope and grace and love of adoption.
and to celebrate new life. two new lives. and new parents. two new parents (though dan was not in attendance. someone had to stay home with those precious preemies who can't be around a lot of germy adults yet.)
i helped with the decor. and was the official photographer. i met so many lovely people. it was mostly made up of friends from olivia's church. but i eeked out an invitation due to my decor and photography skills. and because i am mostly presbyterian.
the soiree was at my friend debbie's house. she is the only person who could have hosted almost double the number of people expected and not miss a beat. or sweat a drop. or say a curse word. it was lovely. and everyone had so much fun they stayed half the day. debbie's house is like that. debbie's life is like that. you drop in and then you end up staying because you can't leave all that fun.
i could write all day about what a great event this was. or i could show you some more of the photos. let's go that route. a picture is worth a thousand words...
so many times i think that i can become refreshed by thinking only about myself. my needs. specifically my nap needs. which are plenty after this weekend of craziness. but these photos remind me that TRUE refreshing comes from pouring out my life into the lives of others. saturating their lives. helping to fill their lives with the living water. then it will overflow into my own....
a lesson i was taught by this young mother. the refreshing and radiant olivia.
olivia's mother in law responded to a post i made on facebook about how wonderful my weekend was with these beautiful words...
"Our earthly joy is so great, can you imagine what heavenly joy will be like?"
and i responded back..
"can't wait to find out & spend an eternity celebrating with the One who is THE FULLNESS of all Joy!"
the One who rained down grace and mercy to fill us with all measures of joy started His human life in a cave in an unknown location in a small uncaring city. He is our Refresher...