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Be Savvy...



My grandson and I have an annual tradition each fall of stringing beads on to stretchy thread and making a set of new prayer beads. We use the beads to pray for our family members, friends from school and work and to talk with God about the things we are joyful or sad about. In between each large bead is a “bumper” bead that we use to give thanks to God for something or someone. At the end of our prayer we are practicing the Lord’s Prayer together. Making and using prayer beads is a faith practice that we enjoy sharing with each other and helps us to remember that God is always with us – and always willing to hear the needs that are on our hearts.

Using prayer beads is an everyday way of incorporate prayer into our lives - and so are a savvy way of using the small things and small pockets of time to draw close to God and each other. In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable of the “shrew” (savvy) manager and tells his followers to be shrewd as the manager is shrewd.  Jesus calls us to use what we have and who we already are to express the good news of God’s love everywhere we go.

John 13:34-35 (the lesson following Jesus washing the disciple’s feet) says this,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 It is fair to say, that Jesus calls us to use our gifts of imagination and innovation to be savvy or shrewd in sharing God’s love. We can use the small things to honor God; from a smile, to a compassionate ear, to a meal in a time of illness, to prayer beads. The what we use to share love with others is not the most important thing, it’s our why that really matters. God has given so much and so out of thanks to God – we share, we smile, we support. Small things and small efforts make a big difference when they are done in the name of love.

God help us to be savvy and shrewd – all for the sake of sharing the generous love of God.  May we be known for the small things, that are really the big things, the love we share with one another.

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