April 2022 — Marilyn Krake
a letter from Liz —
Dear AP Girlfriends,
My morning prayer for you today comes from Colossians 1:9-14:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (NIV)
Jeff and I are on a trip to Thailand and Japan and are thankful to visit some of you we haven’t seen in a long time. We have been looking forward to setting our feet back into your worlds. One of the next things on our calendar includes some ladies’ retreats, and Lord willing, we will have dates ready for you in May.
Today’s devotional is written by Marilyn Krake. She and her family serve in Palau and are involved in church planting. I love the way Marilyn brings the Word to life, and I am sure you will be blessed too.
Love and prayers,
Liz
The Parable of the Green Crayon
By Marilyn Krake
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” — Zech. 4:10 (NLT)
It was bound to happen someday. A green crayon hidden in a small pocket made its way into a full laundry load of whites. As a result, all of our white clothes turned green polka-dotted, resembling a Dalmatian (if there ever was one that color). I have no desire to see a melted green crayon on socks, undershirts, and Buzz Lightyear underwear ever again, but I thank God for using this to speak life to my heart.
After some research, I learned the best way to remove crayon marks is to soak the clothes in boiling water with soap and vinegar and then wash them in a hot cycle. Seems easy enough, right? Not so much. Since we use our apartment building’s coin laundry, which has no hot water connection, our morning turned quite interesting. I boiled water on the gas stove and filled 5-gallon buckets; then Nick carried the buckets down two flights of stairs to the laundromat and proceeded with the instructions. It wasn’t hard—just tedious. After the clothes finished soaking, I scrubbed each item with a brush to remove the wax.
As I stood scrubbing in what felt like 100-degree weather with 100 percent humidity, I began to literally laugh out loud and talk to God. I never pictured washing green crayon marks as part of my missionary job description. How easy it would be to run to Walmart and replace socks, undershirts, and T-shirts. Yet, knowing the nearest Walmart is over 3000 miles away, it was vital to do everything I could to save all these clothes.
After spending all morning in a laundromat frustrated, hot, and discouraged, God gently reminded me how a small green crayon made this huge mess. The crayon melted in one small pocket, yet it left a mark on every piece of clothing in that load. He showed me that as a wife, mother, and missionary, I feel at times what I do for Him is small—smiling at the cashier, sharing a new recipe with a neighbor, or praying over the phone with a hurting wife and mother. Yet what may seem small in my eyes is little by little leaving a mark on everyone I meet.
As I finished scrubbing our clothes, I teared up, remembering that everything I do for the kingdom of God—big or small—is leaving a mark. I may not see it yet, but as He begins to unfold the big picture, I know one day I will look back and see the full impact.
Lord, thank You for giving me the honor to minister to my family and those around me. Thank You for the opportunity and privilege of leaving an everlasting mark on everyone I come in contact with. Help me be a green crayon today. Every day of my life, may I never take for granted the ministries You have placed in my hands.
Laundry Hack: Removing Crayon Stains
Scrape off as much crayon residue as possible.
Soak clothes in hot water with laundry soap and 1 cup of vinegar.
Wash clothes with laundry soap and 1 cup of baking soda in the hottest water the fabric will allow.
