Unhindered Light

It’s raining now; beautiful, gentle rain. The sun is pushing its way through, creating ribbons of white-edged clouds with silver-gray linings. A glorious day, to be sure and one I am so thankful to be a part of; one wherein the glory of the Lord cannot be hidden. Droplets hang on the bare branches of a December afternoon. Not wishing to let go just yet, they carry the sun’s ray as though it were a treasure to be captured and enjoyed. Just so, I am captivated by the powerful light of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I am filled with a longing that won’t let go; a longing for others to know the tidings of comfort and joy that Christ brings; the tidings of Christmas. 

I was reminded, today, of Amy Carmichael’s words:

Love through me love of God

Make me like Thy clear air

Through which unhindered colours pass

As though it were not there.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works,

 and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” 

(Matthew 5:16)

Don't lose heart

I appreciated Pastor Pernell's message on Sunday, from the book of Nehemiah. I’ve created my own little summary here. If you have a vision from God, (and I don't mean hearing voices and seeing ghosts- I mean an idea worth pursuing), then be sure the following 3 things, (from Nehemiah 4), will keep you from being discouraged:

Prayer  "Hear us, O our God…" Let the Lord have His way, in your life and in the life of those who would disagree.

Providence  "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome..." God is always faithful. If the vision is truly from Him, He will provide a way. Oftentimes, He will use those who disagree, to incline our hearts to recall that His glory is the ultimate goal.

Planning   "From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows, and armour…" Nehemiah had everyone up on the wall and then realized they needed protection. Sometimes the plan has to change, but the vision remains.

And I went on to consider the following:
There will always be detractors; those who don’t come on board with what you truly believe is from God. I wouldn’t dismiss them entirely- they deserve a hearing because, if they are your church members, then they have something to say. And sometimes, their dissension can mean changes in the plan or reshaping of the vision, but one does not have to abandon the whole idea.

Nehemiah is such a great template for a leader. His humility displayed before his boss- the King, no less- shows me where his true strength rested. He knew His God and waited before Him, for his marching orders. March he did, all the way from Susa to Jerusalem, (800 miles=1200kms), through dangerous territory, at that! Be encouraged…if God is for us, who can be against us?

I can’t wait for the rest of this series on Nehemiah. I hadn’t realized that I, too, needed God’s encouragement from these humble servants.

Muffin Tins

Looking at this picture of our cat, Angel, I am reminded that my real rest is found in Christ. How is it that I can fret and worry and storm about? Today, I went looking for our muffin tins-the ones I always put in the same place; the very same ones that I used a week ago. They were nowhere to be found; not in any cupboard. My goodness, I even checked in the most unusual of places- like in Mom’s bedroom and downstairs in the basement, (in case I had popped them down there to make more space for other things). I searched high and low; and then looked in the same places again, because I know myself well enough- I am not always very thorough when it comes to looking for things.
Still no muffin tins. So, I asked Mom to do a search- in case I had just missed them, you know.
Mom says: “Now, if you didn’t find them, what makes you think I could find them?”
I say: “Just in case, Mom!”

So she looks in the cupboards and moves a few things around, (much like I did), and says:
“Well, I can’t see them.”

I go back to that same cupboard to look for a pan, and I spot them: those well-hidden, lovely-looking muffin tins. Oh my! All it took was a little more shuffling about of the other objects in that cupboard. Can I say that I felt foolish? I did!

How much time I wasted thinking and wondering and even searching for them; and they were right in front of me. How often do I fret instead of freely ask the Lord? How often do I worry instead of whisper the name of my God, in a prayer of praise and in a prayer for help? How often do I storm about, perhaps even pouting, when I could be storming the gates of heaven where mercy is great and grace is free? In the end, I didn’t have time to make my carrot muffins; chocolate chip cookies took their place. But I did have time to ask the Lord for a right attitude and a quiet spirit.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Psalm 62:5