A friend from church wanted to turn the pastoral appreciation month offering into something besides a pile of bills or a check. She had seen a picture of a bouquet of money origami and wanted to do the same for our pastor.
I figured it would be a big job for one person, and thought the children would enjoy learning to do something like this. So Katherine took us up on the offer to do the folding for her as an art class. The children followed directions while watching an origami tutorial that Katherine had sent a link for online. They made both flowers and butterflies. It takes three bills to make a 6-petal flower, and two bills to make a butterfly. The only other supplies you need are pipe cleaners and floral wire.
Then Katherine arranged the money in with some fall foliage in a basket.
At the last minute, I felt the inspiration to write this poem to give the pastor based on the arrangement as a prayer for our pastor and our church.
Transformation
Flowers out of paper bills,
And blossoms out of green,
Butterflies with valued wings
Hide the leaves between.
Folded here and creased right there
Tweaked and bent and pressed,
Now the money is transformed
And you see the rest.
No longer flat and hidden,
No longer lifeless, plain,
Submitted to the Crafter's hand,
There's 3-D beauty gained!
Out of the dust was Adam made.
No one but God could dream
What dust could make! What earth could hold!
What light from dark could beam!
Out of our ashes, God brings joy;
Out of our tears, a song.
Out of a life all bruised and torn
He makes our weakness strong.
Submitted to the Crafter's hand,
Humbly we kneel in prayer.
"Lord, make of us, dust of the earth,
Something You can share!
Out of our nothingness, out of the bad,
Out of life's ongoing pain,
Skillfully mold, bend and unfold
Rainbows out of our rain,
Beauty out of suffering,
Peace from the midst of strife,
And from worthiness of only death
Your offer of endless life.
Lord let us see Your glory
That Your Spirit weaves
Like blossoms out of paper,
And butterflies in the leaves!"
Above, up close, are the first flower and butterfly the children made to see how it would look. It was such a fascinating project, and gave me a lot of joy to participate. How the Lord keeps providing, day after day, small projects we can do to keep the children busy and happy when I am at a loss to keep seven children busy in my own strength!
"Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find..."
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