Good Gifts - Connie Cow

1 Peter 2:1-7 (New Revised Standard)

1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." 7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,"

Reflection
At first I didn't think that my milk was spiritual milk, but maybe it is. Maybe my milk is good for more than nourishment. Maybe my milk is good for more than strengthening the bones and teeth of humans. I think my milk may have a little bit of that spiritual taste to it at times, moo-re times than not.

God has gifted me with many qualities. I'm good for milk, fertilizer, my babies, and hopefully, in the end, some meat. I can make a family rich enough to sustain life.

Since God has gifted me with many qualities, I like to think of myself as part of this cycle of life. God granted me a blessing of life that I may give my life to bless others. It's kinda like that spiritual milk the humans long for. Humans desire to taste the kindness of life God has granted them through drinking in the spiritual milk only God can provide.

This milk is available through the love of Jesus Christ sometimes referred to as the cornerstone of a building. Jesus is the Living Stone and Christians become like him through the drinking of the spiritual milk. But living stones can't be kept alone, they must come together and be built one on another with Jesus as the cornerstone. All creatures are only fulfilled in God. So humans live to place all those bad qualities behind them and live to love Jesus the Living Cornerstone of all creation.

And that's where you and I come together. Through "Good Gifts" you can purchase me and more like me to be given to people in need. But, I only want you to do this out of the love of Jesus. I want you to show Jesus' love to another in need because you have tasted that wonderful spiritual milk only God can provide. After all, we love Jesus by serving others. Sometimes I feel moo-ved to express my love for God in offering myself up to God's creation. Don't you feel moo-ved too?

Your Friend,
Connie Cow

Prayer
Lord, give me that spiritual milk that I may love as you have loved. --- Amen

www.elca.org/goodgifts