Someone taught me a new word today - "taonga". (Thankyou Mishal 😊.) In her words, "It doesn't translate well as 'treasure' (at its worst definition, 'something precious that you hoard/store; to covet something you don't have') but comes from the word spear 'tao' (in that you would protect it with you life)."
I had been praying in my morning time with God, that he would fill me, so that my life would be like his - and some trepidation came with that prayer, as images of what Jesus endured in his love cause for us, flashed into my mind. I'm a little unsure of how much I am really willing to go through for him.
Fear is a natural response when faced with positions like his. And I know he felt it. And struggled his way through it. And I know others have stood their ground and laid down their lives in the face of evil too! And we honour them for their bravery.
Would I be that brave? I don't know. I hope so. I pray that if it ever comes to that, that he'll hold me strong. But I do know this - he is 'taonga' to me. My most precious one in all my life. And that pure and selfless love of his inspires the deepest response in me.
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