"Warts" in Jozi!

This is Hamilton! The piglets are named Hawthorne, Harriet and Henry. Yes, there are indeed 'three little pigs' -- Henry is looking out through Hamilton's back legs. Trust us, he is there; you know, the shy one!

Note that the piglets don't have warts. Ever wonder why? Perhaps you never knew, or even cared but the fact of the matter is that the 'young'ns' just don't seem to have warts. The older they get, the warts start appearing, growing and definitely adding to the overall ugliness of the grown warthog! The tusks aren't really at the top of the list for finishing touches either. But there you have it: ugliness in the flesh!

Isnt it wonderful that we're both saved by and under God's grace! He loves us, warts and all. We find that often our work is most difficult with the 'grown ups'! Warts, tusks, bristled hair -- you name it-- all become apparent in aging warthogs. So as we grow up, what do we begin to look like? Or act like? How accepting are we of others with their warts and all? Certainly we can't expect others to be any more accepting of us than we are of them.

Brennan Manning in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel writes: "Over a hundred years ago in the Deep South, the phrase used to describe the breakthrough into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was 'I was seized by the power of a great affection.'" He goes on to say, "The phrase lent new meaning to the old Russian proverb, 'Those who have the disease called Jesus will never be cured.'"

We pray that our 'warts' won't be so obvious that they distract from the fact that in and by Christ himself, we've been seized by the power of a great affection. This reminds one of the chorus "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me..."

Truth be known, Hamilton is so unbelievably ugly, he is beautiful! A creation of God for our pleasure! God grant us the ability to see the beauty of Jesus in others.

By the way, the Hamilton you see in the photo is a cement sculpture which sits right outside our bedroom window! Wow -- what a view!!