Last week my daughter sent me an article by one of her favorite children’s authors, the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Ten days before Amy died, her article was published in the New York Times titled, “You May Want to Marry My Husband.”
In the piece, she describes her amazing husband and what a catch he’ll be for some blessed woman. This is heart-wrenching and dear. She also recounts how she asked readers of her latest memoir for suggestions for a tattoo, so she and the reader could get matching tattoos. Hundreds of submissions were received. Amy chose the word “more” sent in by Paulette, my librarian from Milwaukee.
As I read the article, something about Amy and her word “more” tugged at me. You could even say I became obsessed. I purchased and read several of her award-winning books, watched a You Tube video, and listened to her TED talk—all in the course of just a few days. I then marched over to my local library to ask my librarian, who happens to be the Paulette, if she had a tattoo.
With a big grin on her face, she rolled up her sleeve to reveal the word “more” on her forearm. She gladly shared about meeting Amy in Chicago, getting their tattoos together, and then spending the evening at her house meeting her friends and family.
Perhaps my fascination with this story and the word “more” is because for several years I have been asking God for more of something—not even sure what that something was. I didn’t want more stuff, but perhaps more meaning, more influence, or even to be more like my daughters and friends who are authors, architects, pastors, speakers, designers, nurses, Bible teachers, stylists, and more! All of these women seem to be doing more significant things than I am.
In John 10:10b Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The Message translation says, “I came so they can have…more and better lives than they ever dreamed of.”
Ann Voskamp says, “The only way to more life is by pouring more of yourself out. You can’t have more unless you pour out.” My devotional today read, “It is the lives, like the stars, which simply pour down on us the calm light of their bright and faithful being, up to which we look and out of which we gather the deepest calm and courage.”
That’s it! I can simply pour down, pour out, and be more as I care for my aging mother-in-law, tutor children at St. Marcus Lutheran School, and deliver meals to a new mama or sick friend. Mother Teresa said that “not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
I’m beginning to understand this. And I’m ready for this more and better life Jesus came to give.
What are you asking God for more of?
And I’ll leave you with this sweet line from Amy’s book, I Wish You More:
“I wish you more hugs than ughs.”
~ By Andrea Buchanan
