I'll Cover You

A few weeks ago my wife and I went to go see one of our camp kids perform in Rent. This is no chore for me, since Rent is one of my absolute favorite productions. It is amazing the places where God will speak to you.

Live In My House
I'll Be Your Shelter
Just Pay Me Back With One Thousand Kisses
Be My Lover
And I'll Cover You

It was the I'll Cover you quote. That just got deep down inside me. This speaks so deeply to the relationship God wants us to understand we have in him. God offers us a home and assures us that our love returned to our Him our lover is enough. I can not offer anything to God. Paul reminds us, "Who has given to God, that He should repay."

God's promise to cover us as a devoted husband frees us from the cycle of work based religion. I rub lotion onto my wife's feet not to gain her love, but because I am deeply loved by her, and love her deeply in return. This is the same with God. My wife willing follows me on this journey out of the American dream, because she knows I am her lover and will cover her despite the challenges of third world ministries. I follow God off the cliff of logic and reason, because I am deeply loved by him and deeply love him in return. I know he too will cover me.

As a husband and father covering is such a beautiful tender illustration. I have walked the house many evenings to insure everyone is covered before I goto sleep myself. I have reasoned with my wife who has fallen asleep on the couch to get up an walk into the bedroom so that she can sleep on the comfortable bed and be warm and covered. It is my job as "dad" to pour out love for my family like this. One of my most special moments is recovering one of my daughters who I find without a blanket when I check on her.

A few days ago, Lisa Black wrote about this covering idea on her blog:

I wonder if Pastor Gift feels alone and overwhelmed. I wonder if Jumbo is beside himself with work, all of us knowing he will never give up, because he truly loves the kids. I wonder if the children are getting cold at night now that it is nearing winter in Africa. I wonder if anyone will check to see if they even have covers to kick off.

How I hurt with her heart over the instinct to see blankets, and more importantly to BE God's covering over these orphans. How deeply I am touched remembering that God himself desires to be the Father who checks each of these children, and provides the shelter and security. So here is our lover, we are His body. Will we respond to be fathers to his children? Will we be mothers? Will we be so overwhelmed by the gratitude of our love from Him, that we will enact his will in the world, and cover these orphans?

When we understand the depth of our lover's passion for us, we are motivated to be changed at our core. We are changed to care about whether a nameless orphan in a unknown village in an obscure country has a blanket to cover up with for the winter. We brown bag our lunch, we skip the new movie at the theater, we don't buy that new outfit; in a week we have saved $80 and by our hands 10 of the orphans are covered by a blanket that is God's covering for them. We invite a friend, we challenge our spouse to join us; soon 10 orphans becomes 30.

I invite you to look at how God has blessed you with resources and change how you value them. I encourage you to indulge him in partnering with him to care for these children. I know you did not read this post to be guilted into giving money, and guilt is a pretty weak emotion anyway. Instead, if you have been motivated by God's love poured into you to participate with him, please listen to him. Here are two places you can give to support the work in Swaziland: Nsoko Project" anf 5For50