“Honey Can You Just NOT See the Light???”

         Last year I had to renew my driver’s license…ugh…yes, I have a big head and no matter how far back I scoot in the seat, my face still fills the ENTIRE picture box on the card!  Anyways, I went to the ever-friendly and welcoming (yes, that’s sarcasm) DMV and waited my turn.  When it was finally my time to do the eye test I listened closely to the directions:  read whatever line the lady told me to and also look for a blinking light on the sides and let her know when I saw it.  Simple enough.  Or so I thought. 

The woman began telling me what lines to read and I would, but I totally forgot about the blinking light.  Yes, I saw it, but I forgot tell her when it popped up.  The lady stopped the test, reminded me, and we started over.  Same results…I forgot.  This process went on a few more times and finally she, very frustrated, said, “Honey, can you just NOT see the light?????”  I said that yes I could, but I kept forgetting.  She said we would do it one more time.  By this time, I was so on edge that whenever I would see the light, I would jump around, wave my arms and shout, “light on the left!” or “light on the right!”.  I guess that’s not how most people do it…I realized this when I stepped back and noticed a small audience that had gathered.  Lol

        I feel like sometimes I do what I feel the Lord has told me to do, but it’s just mundane tasks.  I go through the motions of serving Him, but I fail to notice the reminders of His goodness.  I teach the Sunday School class, but often fail to notice their happy smiles, laughter and precious open hearts.  I sing hymns in church, but fail to hear the praises actually being lifted up.  I read my Bible, but fail to understand it’s connection to my life.  I pray, but fail to thank Him for His blessings.  The list could go on and on.  When I actually sit down and think about it, all those reminders are like the little blinking light and the DMV.  I think it’s God’s way of saying, “Amy, can you just NOT see my ‘light’?” 

        I pray for my own heart the ability to never overlook the blessings that are blinking right in front in me.  I want to get excited and jump around and wave my hands and shout, “I see the light…I see your goodness!!!”

“…there shall be showers of blessing.”

Ezekiel 34:26

The Heat of the Fire

I like the verse in Malachi that says:

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…”

Malachi 3:3 NIV

            A person who refines and purifies silver is called a silversmith.  Similar to a goldsmith and other metal workers, except silver is the metal of choice.  When a silversmith is working, he/she has to sit unmoving right outside the fire, holding the piece of silver perfectly in the middle of the fire where the flames are the hottest.  If the silversmith’s hand is not steady and the piece of silver deviates to the edges of the fire, the impurities will not burn away and the piece will be ruined.  A silversmith is required to sit in his/her spot until the piece is finished.  From an outside eye, you wouldn’t be able to tell if the impurities had successfully been burnt off:  but the silversmith has a no-fail method to knowing when the piece is complete.  The work is complete with the silversmith is able to look at the piece and see their reflection in the metal.  The silversmith’s eye has to remain on the piece of silver at all times because a moment too long in the fire and the piece is ruined.

    Isn’t that so much like our lives?  I know I sometimes get tired of seemingly being right in the middle of the flames and pray for a little less heat.  However, the Lord knows that in order for us to be up to our potential, we have to stay in the hottest part.  It is comforting to know that He never leaves us even though we are in the fire; He is still sitting, holding us with His steady hand.  He never takes His eye off us and He knows exactly how long to keep us in the heat of our trials.  I like to think that when I come out of the fire, He is able to see His reflection in me a little more clearly!

“Touching His Hem”

 “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.  She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.  

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. 

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”  But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 

Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:42-49  NIV

             

            This Bible story is so powerful to me.  Jesus was making His way through hundreds of people.  The crowd was pressing and everyone was touching Him as He made His way through.  However, He stopped and asked who had touched Him.  He knew that there was one particular touch that was different from the rest.  The woman who had touched the hem of His garment had such a strong faith and belief in a miracle, it made her touch distinct. 

            How easy it is sometimes to give up on our hope and faith for personal miracles.  When they don’t happen in our time-table or the way we think they should, we often give up on them altogether.  This woman is proof that miracles happen and are answered when and how He wants them to.  She suffered for years and kept getting worse.  I’m sure if she were sitting here today she would tell us that she wanted to be healed 12 years prior!  But her faith kept her going.    

            The Bible never mentions her name, but her story of faith puts mine to shame.  She didn’t need to call out to Him or make a scene.  Her faith was enough for that small touch to uncover her miracle.  The thought of this woman gives me the tenacity to keep the faith:  to pray every single prayer and make every single request just as if I’m grasping the hem of His garment.  And even more…to be expecting my miracle!

“I Love Jesus!”

        I LOVE the Dollar Tree!  I love everything about it…the fact that everything is only $1, the fact that they pretty much have everything, the fact that your buggy can by full and the cashier says “$30”, and the list goes on!  I have such a love that I think I have had at least 1 successful trip to every Dollar Tree in the tri-county! 

        The other day (I was on a tri-county Dollar Tree mission that particular day) I was just looking around and a boy came up and started talking.  He looked about 14 or so, but he had some mental handicaps, so he talked and acted like a little boy.  He introduced himself as Travis and asked my name.  Then he started chatting, telling me pretty much his life story.  He said that he was in the 8^th grade, he liked school, he liked to swim, etc.  Then he started talking about playing basketball at his church.  (He must really love it because he spent a good 10 minutes telling me about it!  Lol!)  Then he said, “but do you know what I love more than basketball?”  I asked what and Travis leaned in real close and whispered, “Jesus! I love Jesus!”  Then he started cracking up laughing and so did I.  I told him that I love Jesus, too.  He couldn’t believe it so he just kept saying over and over, “I love Jesus”…only his whisper grew to a shout! 

        After Travis left, I went on shopping, but with a smile on my face.  What an awesome reminder that we don’t need to have some huge, elaborate testimony, or say all the right words:  our testimony can be as simple and innocent as Travis’.  I have a feeling that when sweet Travis makes it to Heaven, he will be the first in line to say, “I love Jesus!” 

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”

Matthew 18:4  KJV

Falling Asleep

“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.  And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.  And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Acts 7:59-60  KJV

            The story of Stephen is a violent one:  he is stoned to death.  However, this story gives me so much peace!  While the men were stoning Stephen, he called out to the Lord.  He prayed.  The Bible doesn’t say that Stephen cried and tried to cover his head, as most of us would.  It simply says that he called upon God.

            The part that I find most peaceful is that first, the verses do not say that Stephen fell down.  It says he “kneeled down”.  There is a big difference between falling and kneeling.  Falling is an uncontrollable event, whereas kneeling is a precise movement:  you know what you’re doing, and it is controlled.  The second thing that fills my heart with peace is that it says Stephen “falls asleep”.  Obviously, we know the story and we know Stephen died.  However, the Bible doesn’t say that here.  Sleeping is so peaceful and restful.  It doesn’t tell us that Stephen was in excruciating pain and agony (which I’m sure he was after being pummeled with stones!).  He simply “fell asleep”.

            What grace the Lord provided for him!  I like to think that the Lord gave Stephen the specific grace he needed for those exact moments and allowed him to die peacefully, even though the means of his death were extreme, violent, and harsh. 

            We may not be getting stoned in the way Stephen did, but the world is harsh sometimes.  There are many stones that get thrown at us and our first instinct may be to fall down, cover our heads, and scream in pain.  However, if we “kneel” down and call upon the One who is in control, we can simply “fall asleep” and have a peace within our hearts and lives and situations that only He can give.  We might take a beating from some of those stones, but there’s no doubt that He will provide the grace we need to be sustained.