See this pillow……it’s one of my
most prized possessions
.No one bought for me….I found it
and purchased it.
Sometimes those little discoveries
are the most precious, aren’t they?
I bought it mainly for the colors…..and
then I got it because of the pineapples.
Another reason why I purchased it
had to do with the story that surrounds the pillow’s creator.
Rushan Smyth began Peniel
Pillows when she needed a gift for a friend. Rushan states at her website, “My dream was
to create pillows that would tell a story from the Bible, thereby becoming a
source of encouragement. I couldn’t even
sew, but through that one simple gesture, the company now known as Peniel
Pillows was born, and I learned something very important. This is not about ‘sewing’…it is about ‘Sowing’!”
The name Peniel comes from Genesis
32:30…..Jacob named the place Peniel (The
Face of God), for he said, “I have seen God face to face and yet my life is
spared. The website continues….“Like Jacob we all wrestle with the care
of this world. Our hope at Peniel
Pillows is that these keepsakes will be constant reminder of God’s promises as
you read the scripture passage individually selected for each unique
pillow. Know God’s word is the key to
life…..We pray that you too will see His face and live.”
Each pillow follows a theme….mine
follows the word hospitality and is
based on the words from Hebrews 13:2….Do
not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have
shown hospitality to angels without knowing it, and Luke 12:35-40….Be dressed ready for service and keep your
lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding
banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door
for him. It will be good for those
servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to
serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose
master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward
daybreak. But understand this: If the owner, of the house had known at what
hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of
Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
The description of my pillow at
the website states: The pineapple, a universal symbol of “Welcome!” Whether a cup of tea, cold water, or just a
listening ear for a hurting friend, “Be dressed and ready for service and keep your
lamp burning”. Open your heart to make someone feel
comfortable in your presence. “Do not
forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained
angels without even knowing it.” You may
never know until eternity, what a difference your gift of hospitality has
made. Another gift is waiting.
All of the pillows come with a
descriptive hangtag referencing the name, scripture passage, and symbolism of
each individual design. A small New Testament is placed inside every
Peniel Pillow which serves as an ideal place for a person inscription.
…and of course each pillow comes
with the little key emblem as well
I’m beginning to think the Lord
wanted to share with me some lessons regarding hospitality, and that was His reason
for putting the pillow in my path that day.
Over the last couple of years I’ve learned a little more about
hospitality… more on the downside than the up…..but that will come later...there's time.
