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A Plush God
The other day I was at dinner with my nuns and I prayed the short grace “Blessed be God forever”. But it came out “Plush be God forever”. Not sure where that came from — probably had my mind on something else and wasn’t present to the prayer. My little lapse has stayed with me — this idea of a Plush God is so odd yet so compelling to me.
The image that comes to mind is big giant teddy bear, plush and furry and comforting. It gives me a sense of the over-abundance of God, the uber-generosity and loving care.
And that song “Our God is an Awesome God” is playing in the back of my mind but with “Our God is a Plush God”. Oddly enough as I was writing this post, my little brother has been sitting next to me (I’m vising him and my sis-in-law and my new nephew) and he saw the title of this post and started singing the exact song! Weird, eh??
Have you ever encountered God as “plush”?
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{ 9 comments }
I feel like your little lapse actually has a good meaning to it. I had never thought about God as plush before, but after reading this post and thinking a bit I would tend to agree that he is. If you accept God in your life than he is like a giant plush teddy bear and is their to comfort you and give you strength to face your fears. Just my thoughts!
Thanks,
Thomas
One of our favorite photographs is of our toddler daughter, decades ago, giving a hug to a huge plush amusement park mascot. With her arms wide-stretched around the mascot’s leg, and her head nestled against the “fur,” her look of pure innocent ecstasy and security epitomizes the mystic’s experience of God
Indeed, to me, God is more awesome in the “plushness” and the comfort afforded, than in judgment and destruction.
I like the idea of God being plush. Plush is comforting,extravagant, sometimes over the top. I like to think of God as being extravagant in the way He loves us. I like to think of God as being over the top in the way She forgives us.
Thanks for a great new God word, Sister Julie!
During an 8-day retreat at a serious Jesuit retreat house, I found and adopted (for the duration) a large, white, plush bear whom I named Christopher. He was my psalm bear and I would say the hours in my room with him. I dragged him along to my daily meetings with my director, who approved. I believe God speaks in special and deep ways to our Inner Child and anything that frees up our Inner Child to receive God’s message is a good thing. When I returned home, I adopted a large white, plush teddy, a symbol of God’s unconditional love.
Oh I really like this idea too. I feel God’s love in my plush little cocker spaniel Ruby. She has a very thick coat and is like a real live teddy bear. Sometimes we call her plush and lush. I think God likes this too-he makes verdant green pastures and beautiful forests-so inviting in summer like John Denver’s song “Some Place Cool and Green and Shady”. I’ve encountered a few lovely roads that bring that song immediately to mind. Very nice imagery-another way to celebrate God’s glory.
I love the idea of God as plush! My youth room is an old class room and in the classroom across the hall there is a huge stuffed teddy bear. One of my friends named it Jesus because it is big, warm and made her happy. =)
JMJ+
~Betsy
Totus tuus Maria!
I’ve always thought of God as a teddy bear, ironically. Since I was little, I’ve had a stuffed bear that has been with me through all my nightmares, camping trips and even lost an arm playing red rover with my friends. His nose was bit off by my dog a few years back, but still Teddy remains faithful.
To me, God has always been there. No matter what I did to hurt Him, He remainds. He comforts me when I am scared, and He comes with me everywhere. I love these parallels and I’m glad to know other people feel the same way. I’m not the only one who’s a kid at heart at prayer.
Blessings,
Becca
i love the thought of it. specially when life seems to be too hard.
*smiles* I’m glad I’m not the only Sister that snuggles a teddy bear. I wholeheartedly agree! Jesus/God is definitely plush!