Your finger prints are everywhere…

The title of this post is from The Hippo Song.  If you don’t have the pleasure of knowing this ridiculous tune, it goes like this:

In the beginning God made the seas and the forests filled with trees.  God stacked the mountains up so high, and above it all, God placed a sky.  God’s fingerprints are everywhere, just to show us that God cares.  And in the middle, God had some fun.  Made a hippo that weighs a ton.  Hip-hip-hippopotamus.  Hip-hip-hooray, God made all of us!

I love this silly song, complete with ridiculous hand motions, because it really names some of the cool things that God has created.  I am always in awe of where I see God creating today, especially when God is creating through precious little fingerprints.

One of my favorite things about working with kids is that they are the best artists.  I was so pleased the first time that one of the kids gave me a piece of art—a purple construction paper piece, similar to a paper snowflake—that I promised him I would hang it on my apartment door.  Since I live in the Retreat Center, my apartment is right off of the community kitchen.  In fact, my door is seen easily from the front door.  As soon as you step inside the center, you can see my door decorated with now a gallery of children’s art.  With each day that goes on, more and more sacred art is created and placed into my hands by a smaller set of hands.  I promise each one of them that their art will end up on my door. 

I am so thankful for each of these little creations that end up on my door.

As you can see from the picture, there are a few pieces that are in the “gallery” which were not created by young artists.  The first one you may notice is a sign that says “Quarantine.”  This was a gift from Alicia and Trish, one of the other center employees.  My bug bites have continued for over two months now, so they decided to secretly hang this sign on my door to guard others against my ailment.  It’s all in good fun.

The other non-art piece is a quote that I printed and hung on the door.  The quote is by an Aborginal woman regarding missionaries.  She said, “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time.  But if you have come because your liberation is bound up in mine, then let us walk together.”  Following my time with ELCA Global Mission, I’ve become very passionate about “mission” and how we see our relationship with others.  If we, and specifically, retreat groups, come into the Reservation with the intention to “fix” things or to simply provide food, clothing, money, etc, because they want to help, then we need to move along and help ourselves.  If we instead look at our own responsibility to our sisters and brothers, our interconnectedness, our shackles of commitment to one another, then we enter into relationship with one another, knowing that when we walk together, we are one common people, God’s creation, seeking understanding and healing. 

This quote speaks loudly to my heart and soul, but feels especially appropriate mixed in with the art of the children I work with everyday.  I am honored and blessed to be here.  I am thankful for the hugs, the smiles, the handshakes, the cups of coffee, the frybread, the friendship and the exchange of stories.  These relationships are changing and shaping my understanding of faith and Christian community.  Thanks be to God!