Lights, foghorns, and near death experiences...
My parents love lighthouses. I suppose I've never thought to ask them why, I just go with it. I'll have to ask them someday. Regardless of the reason, they love lighthouses. We spent several weekends in my high school days traveling to nearby lighthouses and enjoying everything they offer. Not only would we enjoy the museums and explore the nicely groomed grounds on which they were planted, unless it was closed, climbed each and every step in each and every lighthouse in order to reach the top and look down on the unknowing people down below. Not to mention the view! Now that you know a family tradition, I have to tell you the "bridge" story.
While not all of my family got to attend this little escapade, those who did know exactly what I'm talking about. We were headed to a lighthouse, I don't recall which one, and we had to drive over a large bridge in order to reach it. On the way over, my mother got out the digital camera and tried to take a picture. This sounds easy enough until you remember my mothers camera. It had to have been 2006 or so but her camera couldn't give that away. Try more like 2000. It's large, square body had an open space on the side where you could easily insert it's storage device... floppy disks. That's right folks, this camera took floppy disks. Now are we on the same page?
One of the camera's many features was it's flat screen on which you could see what you were pointing at and easily take a picture. Thank you, 1999! Anyways, the problem with that little feature arose on the bridge to the lighthouse. My mother looked at the camera's screen but couldn't find the lighthouse on it, her arms bouncing to every seem in the bridge and the lighthouse being so far away. It's equivalent to looking for a deer in your scope after you sight it with your eyes... sometimes it's hard to find.
When your mother feverishly wants a picture of a lighthouse but can't get her camera on target you help, right? So I did and so did everyone in the car. We are all looking at the camera trying to get this award winning shot of the majestic lighthouse. Suddenly, we are jumping a curb and headed right into the guardrail of the bridge, pointed toward the water. Luckily we never hit it nor did we fall to our deaths into the water. My advice to photographers in cars, everyone in the car may try to help... everyone but the driver.
The rest of the day was fun and lighthouse-a-rific. We were able to enjoy the gardens below and the view from the top. My parents were in lighthouse heaven. (Luckily not literal heaven, as we came close to it that day.)
I've seen a lot of lighthouses. I've explored a lot of them. I probably could tell you many stories of many lighthouses and their many keepers as their museums usually told them to me. One thing I could tell you that I'm sure you already know is that lighthouses save lives. It's a brilliant idea, really. Stick a light in the tallest tower and keep the boatman informed of the dangers that lay ahead. Be a light to the boatman. A light to the world.
One thing you will notice about lighthouses, at least the many I've visited, is that they don't make noise. For one, there is simply no reason. If they try to make noise in the ferociousness of a storm, they will either not be heard or complicate the situation. Cause more danger.
D.L. Moody said- "A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine." How true is this in our lives today? It's funny how believers act in this country. We act so persecuted. On alert as if we are about to be made into human candles and martyred for our cause. While, at the same time, believers around the world are actually killed for the faith and never heard of. I think Statesman blow their horns too much. And not only too much and too loud but too wrong too. When I hear about believers in rallies across the nation, it's against homosexuality and it shows the hateful signs they wave and the hateful words they scream. It's the lives lost due to abortion... and not the babies. It's all so very... anti-Christ. What is going on out there? Who are we to the world? Are we blowing our horns so loud that we cause more danger and harm then good?
We ought to shut up. You know... compared to the rest of the Bible, Jesus said very little. I imagine he was probably one of THOSE. The kind that is quiet and speaks only when he means it. Never wasting a breath with meaningless words, as I assume the son of God could never say anything meaningless but that's not the point. I imagine Jesus was that guy. That guy that is so quiet that when he speaks, you listen. You don't have to weed through the noise to get to the message. It's out there, out there for everyone to hear. What is that Proverb, "Better to be a fool then to open your mouth and prove it?" Hmmm....
We are to be the lighthouses in this world. The quiet lifesavers that never ask for glory. Lighthouses stand tall, boasting of nothing, only worried for the next traveler navigating it's rocky shores. Lighthouses are patient through the storms and kind to the waves that crash against them. They are not envious of other buildings with less to be held accountable for and they are not proud in what they are called to. A lighthouse isn't rude or self-seeking and it's most definitely not easily angered. It's light forever shines for those to see. It keeps no record of wrongs. It doesn't delight in evil but rejoices with the truth of those who make it by. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
"YOU are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor would you light a lamp and place it under a bowl. No, you'd put it on a stand for the whole house to see. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven." -Jesus
Interesting enough, I didn't read anywhere where Jesus mentioned we are the foghorns in the world. That we are the noise. We are the lighthouses. When the world comes crashing in with the waves of life, we are to shine brightly. Shine to show them who God is and why He loves them. You can tell them and tell them and shout out ALL their trespasses til your throat is hoarse and your head is numb but a life that shines for the Glory of God will surpass every one of your screams. No one likes to be screamed at, even a child.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does no envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
"When I was a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
"And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."- 1Corinthians 13
I think we should stress the importance of love. God loved us so much that he sent his only son to die for us. I don't think we quite grasp this. A love so great that the perfect was sacrificed for us. For us. Jesus is the epitome of love. He came for the sick not the well. Over and over the Bible commands us to love. I think the definition of the hypocrisy is shouting out one part of the Bible and then ignoring all the rest. Yes, these things in which you so fervently speak out against are clearly defined as sin in the Bible, however, Jesus never spoke a hateful word towards a single soul. We are Christ-followers, it's in the definition that we follow his example, is it not? That we strive to be like Christ? That we strive to speak not hate, but love?
In Matthew 12 Jesus said, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
What a sobering thought. By your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned. How many careless words have I spoken? I mean, I'm not one of those guys. One of those Jesus types who only speak when it's wise. I speak all the time. I'm sure you know this as many of you know me very well. I'm a talker... I only know of one solid talker who, without question, talks more than I. (Sarah, sister, I love you.) I mean nothing ill of this, in fact I find it quite funny and enjoyable. It may be the best part that we are family and we can call it a family trait. Lets blame our genes on this one okay? Regardless, I know I have spoken many careless and reckless words. I have slandered, blasphemed, and used my tongue as a bitter, two-edged sword. By these words I will be judged. But I also can use my words for love. I think this is the stressing point in the argument. If you store up evil in your heart, in times of heat, you will bring up evil.
Jesus made the connection of a tree. Growing up in Florida, I am well acquainted with orange trees. When a tree is rooted well and has healthy roots, it flowers and blooms with much fruit. When a tree has roots that are rotting or being bothered with weeds and bugs, no oranges appear and if they do, they are not beautiful, orange globes of citrus goodness. They are withering and brown, small and wrinkled. Not to mention they will taste sour and bitter like the condition of their roots. Our hearts are our roots, what is the condition of your roots?
Have you ever had to stretch out your pantry? There was a time when Stoney and I were really low on cash and we depleted our pantry instead of buying new groceries. The cash stretched out further this way but the food we ate wasn't always the five star kind of food. In a moments notice, I would have to cook dinner with the fewest of ingredients. The result was pitiful excuses for dinners which bore very few nutrients. Years later, I have a stocked pantry and can whip up a healthy dinner in about an hour. In fact, I have a deep freeze in the garage that I store items like bread and various cuts of meats which help in this quest for last minute, tasty nourishment.
Our hearts are so very similar to this. What do you stock up your heart with? Is it nutrient-rich love and hope, or are you dwindling and using your last bits of emotions: hate and disdain. I think it's time to fill that pantry. It's time to fill our hearts with so much of God's love that we have an overflow that spills onto the rest of the world.
My daughter loves water. She particularly likes running water (if you include bubbles we may have an excitement overload). One of her favorite bath time games is to let the running water fill a cup until it spills out over her hands and arms. Every time she does it she looks at me and smiles like it is the best thing in the world. I commonly get a magnificent toddler squeal too! May our hearts be so very filled with the Word of God that it times of trouble, we overflow the love of our Savior and not the hatred of the evil one. And perhaps, with the overflow, not only will we bless the world but we may be so overjoyed that we, ourselves, squeal with delight.
May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer.
Beka
While not all of my family got to attend this little escapade, those who did know exactly what I'm talking about. We were headed to a lighthouse, I don't recall which one, and we had to drive over a large bridge in order to reach it. On the way over, my mother got out the digital camera and tried to take a picture. This sounds easy enough until you remember my mothers camera. It had to have been 2006 or so but her camera couldn't give that away. Try more like 2000. It's large, square body had an open space on the side where you could easily insert it's storage device... floppy disks. That's right folks, this camera took floppy disks. Now are we on the same page?
One of the camera's many features was it's flat screen on which you could see what you were pointing at and easily take a picture. Thank you, 1999! Anyways, the problem with that little feature arose on the bridge to the lighthouse. My mother looked at the camera's screen but couldn't find the lighthouse on it, her arms bouncing to every seem in the bridge and the lighthouse being so far away. It's equivalent to looking for a deer in your scope after you sight it with your eyes... sometimes it's hard to find.
When your mother feverishly wants a picture of a lighthouse but can't get her camera on target you help, right? So I did and so did everyone in the car. We are all looking at the camera trying to get this award winning shot of the majestic lighthouse. Suddenly, we are jumping a curb and headed right into the guardrail of the bridge, pointed toward the water. Luckily we never hit it nor did we fall to our deaths into the water. My advice to photographers in cars, everyone in the car may try to help... everyone but the driver.
The rest of the day was fun and lighthouse-a-rific. We were able to enjoy the gardens below and the view from the top. My parents were in lighthouse heaven. (Luckily not literal heaven, as we came close to it that day.)
I've seen a lot of lighthouses. I've explored a lot of them. I probably could tell you many stories of many lighthouses and their many keepers as their museums usually told them to me. One thing I could tell you that I'm sure you already know is that lighthouses save lives. It's a brilliant idea, really. Stick a light in the tallest tower and keep the boatman informed of the dangers that lay ahead. Be a light to the boatman. A light to the world.
One thing you will notice about lighthouses, at least the many I've visited, is that they don't make noise. For one, there is simply no reason. If they try to make noise in the ferociousness of a storm, they will either not be heard or complicate the situation. Cause more danger.
D.L. Moody said- "A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine." How true is this in our lives today? It's funny how believers act in this country. We act so persecuted. On alert as if we are about to be made into human candles and martyred for our cause. While, at the same time, believers around the world are actually killed for the faith and never heard of. I think Statesman blow their horns too much. And not only too much and too loud but too wrong too. When I hear about believers in rallies across the nation, it's against homosexuality and it shows the hateful signs they wave and the hateful words they scream. It's the lives lost due to abortion... and not the babies. It's all so very... anti-Christ. What is going on out there? Who are we to the world? Are we blowing our horns so loud that we cause more danger and harm then good?
We ought to shut up. You know... compared to the rest of the Bible, Jesus said very little. I imagine he was probably one of THOSE. The kind that is quiet and speaks only when he means it. Never wasting a breath with meaningless words, as I assume the son of God could never say anything meaningless but that's not the point. I imagine Jesus was that guy. That guy that is so quiet that when he speaks, you listen. You don't have to weed through the noise to get to the message. It's out there, out there for everyone to hear. What is that Proverb, "Better to be a fool then to open your mouth and prove it?" Hmmm....
We are to be the lighthouses in this world. The quiet lifesavers that never ask for glory. Lighthouses stand tall, boasting of nothing, only worried for the next traveler navigating it's rocky shores. Lighthouses are patient through the storms and kind to the waves that crash against them. They are not envious of other buildings with less to be held accountable for and they are not proud in what they are called to. A lighthouse isn't rude or self-seeking and it's most definitely not easily angered. It's light forever shines for those to see. It keeps no record of wrongs. It doesn't delight in evil but rejoices with the truth of those who make it by. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
"YOU are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor would you light a lamp and place it under a bowl. No, you'd put it on a stand for the whole house to see. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven." -Jesus
Interesting enough, I didn't read anywhere where Jesus mentioned we are the foghorns in the world. That we are the noise. We are the lighthouses. When the world comes crashing in with the waves of life, we are to shine brightly. Shine to show them who God is and why He loves them. You can tell them and tell them and shout out ALL their trespasses til your throat is hoarse and your head is numb but a life that shines for the Glory of God will surpass every one of your screams. No one likes to be screamed at, even a child.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does no envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
"When I was a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
"And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."- 1Corinthians 13
I think we should stress the importance of love. God loved us so much that he sent his only son to die for us. I don't think we quite grasp this. A love so great that the perfect was sacrificed for us. For us. Jesus is the epitome of love. He came for the sick not the well. Over and over the Bible commands us to love. I think the definition of the hypocrisy is shouting out one part of the Bible and then ignoring all the rest. Yes, these things in which you so fervently speak out against are clearly defined as sin in the Bible, however, Jesus never spoke a hateful word towards a single soul. We are Christ-followers, it's in the definition that we follow his example, is it not? That we strive to be like Christ? That we strive to speak not hate, but love?
In Matthew 12 Jesus said, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
What a sobering thought. By your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned. How many careless words have I spoken? I mean, I'm not one of those guys. One of those Jesus types who only speak when it's wise. I speak all the time. I'm sure you know this as many of you know me very well. I'm a talker... I only know of one solid talker who, without question, talks more than I. (Sarah, sister, I love you.) I mean nothing ill of this, in fact I find it quite funny and enjoyable. It may be the best part that we are family and we can call it a family trait. Lets blame our genes on this one okay? Regardless, I know I have spoken many careless and reckless words. I have slandered, blasphemed, and used my tongue as a bitter, two-edged sword. By these words I will be judged. But I also can use my words for love. I think this is the stressing point in the argument. If you store up evil in your heart, in times of heat, you will bring up evil.
Jesus made the connection of a tree. Growing up in Florida, I am well acquainted with orange trees. When a tree is rooted well and has healthy roots, it flowers and blooms with much fruit. When a tree has roots that are rotting or being bothered with weeds and bugs, no oranges appear and if they do, they are not beautiful, orange globes of citrus goodness. They are withering and brown, small and wrinkled. Not to mention they will taste sour and bitter like the condition of their roots. Our hearts are our roots, what is the condition of your roots?
Have you ever had to stretch out your pantry? There was a time when Stoney and I were really low on cash and we depleted our pantry instead of buying new groceries. The cash stretched out further this way but the food we ate wasn't always the five star kind of food. In a moments notice, I would have to cook dinner with the fewest of ingredients. The result was pitiful excuses for dinners which bore very few nutrients. Years later, I have a stocked pantry and can whip up a healthy dinner in about an hour. In fact, I have a deep freeze in the garage that I store items like bread and various cuts of meats which help in this quest for last minute, tasty nourishment.
Our hearts are so very similar to this. What do you stock up your heart with? Is it nutrient-rich love and hope, or are you dwindling and using your last bits of emotions: hate and disdain. I think it's time to fill that pantry. It's time to fill our hearts with so much of God's love that we have an overflow that spills onto the rest of the world.
My daughter loves water. She particularly likes running water (if you include bubbles we may have an excitement overload). One of her favorite bath time games is to let the running water fill a cup until it spills out over her hands and arms. Every time she does it she looks at me and smiles like it is the best thing in the world. I commonly get a magnificent toddler squeal too! May our hearts be so very filled with the Word of God that it times of trouble, we overflow the love of our Savior and not the hatred of the evil one. And perhaps, with the overflow, not only will we bless the world but we may be so overjoyed that we, ourselves, squeal with delight.
May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer.
Beka
posted by Lillian | 7:43 AM
|
0 comments
