8月26日──雛菊花環 Daisy Garland
讀 經：歌羅西書1章24-29節 Colossians 1 24:29
(New living translation)
24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the
sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.
25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his
entire message to you.
26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it
has been revealed to God’s people.
27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you
Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you
assurance of sharing his glory.
28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with
all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in
their relationship to Christ.
29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power
that works within me.
24
現在我為你們受苦，倒覺歡樂；並且為基督的身體，就是為教會，要在我肉身上補滿基督患難的缺欠。
25 我照神為你們所賜我的職分作了教會的執事，要把神的道理傳得全備，
26 這道理就是歷世歷代所隱藏的奧祕；但如今向他的聖徒顯明了。
27 神願意叫他們知道，這奧祕在外邦人中有何等豐盛的榮耀，就是基督在你們心裡成了有榮耀的盼望。
28 我們傳揚他，是用諸般的智慧，勸戒各人，教導各人，要把各人在基督裡完完全全的引到神面前。
29 我也為此勞苦，照著他在我裏面運用的大能盡心竭力。
金 句：「我們傳揚他，是用諸般智慧，勸戒各人，教導各人。」（歌羅西書1章28節）
28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with
all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in
their relationship to Christ.
我做生平第一個雛菊花環的時候，已是成年。記得我和一位朋友坐在草地上，把一朵朵雛菊串在一起做成一個精緻的項鏈。我們太專心了，以致暫時忘卻了生命中一些迫切的需要。但實際這些需要依然存在，而且依舊迫切。
I
made first daisy garland in my life that I have already been grown-up. I
remembered that I and a friend sat on the lawn, making together a daisy string
to a fine necklace. We were wholly absorbed, so that temporarily put behind some
urgent need in the life. But the actual these need still exist, moreover is as
urgent as the same.
這個經歷讓我想起一個我讀過的故事。故事中的一位婦人做了一個夢，夢見一片草地，旁邊是一處懸崖，下面是數百尺深的岩石。數十位盲人正向懸崖的邊沿走去，她想對他們發出警告，但是人數太多了。然後她回頭看看那片草地，目光所及可以看到許多人，這些人坐在草地上自顧自地編雛菊花環，卻不去警告盲人面臨的危險。
This experience makes me think that I have read the story. In a story, a woman
made a dream, who saw a stretch of lawn whose side was a cliff. Under it was
several hundred foot deep rock. Dozens of blind people were walking to the
cliff border, She wanted to send out the warning to them, but the population
were too many. Then she turned a look at the stretch of lawn, seeing many people who
sat on the lawn arranging alone the daisy garland. But none warned the blind
people would face the danger.
做無害處的休閒活動並沒有什麼不對。但我們是否太過專注自己的興趣，而忘了無數正盲目步向地獄的人的需要呢？
Engaging in the harmless leisure activity, it is nothing wrong. But if we
extremely concentrate on own interests, then forget so many persons' needs who
are walking to the hell ?
保羅了解這種情況的緊迫性。他所專注的始終是基督。他寫道：「我們傳揚他，是用諸般的智慧，勸戒各人，教導各人，要把各人在基督裡完完全全的引到上帝面前。」（歌羅西書1章28節）。
Paul finds out this kind of situation which is very urgent. His concentration
all the time is Christ. He wrote: 「So we tell others about Christ, warning
everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to
present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 」(Colossians 1 28)
你的心神專注在什麼上面？是在做雛菊花環上？還是引導人們信主。
What does your mind concentrate? Does it make daisy garland? Or guides the people believing in God.