Westminster’s “Orange Idea” is a monthly, family-friendly, 1-page resource to help you live out your faith at home. But what is “Orange,” you might ask?

As Julie and Matthew explained, it’s not just a colour—it’s a way of thinking: Yellow represents the light of Jesus shared by the church. Red represents the blood and bond of the family. So when you put Yellow and Red together you get…

Orange!

So an “Orange idea” is when the church helps people live out their faith in their families and homes. After all, the home is the primary place where faith is formed.

So this monthly resource will help people of different ages learn about and live out their Christian faith in tangible, practical ways.

So here’s the Orange Idea for Summer 2017: Count the stars!

Huh?

To understand what we mean, let’s back up a bit. In Genesis 15:5 (MSG) we read this: “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You’re going to have a big family, Abram!”

The idea is this. Summer is a busy time–sports, holidays, work, fun, activities. Even in the midst of all this, we can find ourselves wanting more and more. In Genesis 15, Abram (soon to be renamed Abraham) asks God for a child. So far, he and his wife Sarai (soon to be renamed Sarah) are unable to have a family of their own. But they’d like to pass on their knowledge, faith and love. God replies by telling him to count the stars, and that his family will one day number more than the stars!

Even though we can’t always see it, God’s blessings are beyond our imaginations!

So here’s what we invite you to do:

This summer, as you camp or travel to cottages or even relax at home, take a few moments on a clear night and pull away from the distractions of your busy life, look up at the night sky, and try to count the stars. Just as much as the stars are too many to count, so are our blessings from God! 

It’s about gratitude. It’s about being more mindful of all the ways God is providing for you in your life.

Here are a few helpful tips:

1. Find a place away from distractions
2. Take an empty photo frame and hold it up in the night to help you focus on a smaller section of the sky
3. Include family and friends and all count a different part of what you see
4. Looking for an alternative? Try going to the beach and taking a handful of sand, and count each grain of sand (Genesis 22:17).
5. Remember that all of these stars represent descendants of Abraham and followers of God; we are not alone. God is the God who answers prayers and who blesses us beyond our imaginations!

This summer, count the stars! (And remember how God blesses us beyond our imaginations.)

And be thankful.

 

 

You’ll be glad you did!