This Little Light of Mine

     Do you remember singing this song when you were a child. I learned it in my Sunbeam class at  church at a very early age.  In case you haven't heard it before, let me share with you a few of the lines from this song , "This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine." The second verse says,"Hide it under a bushel...NO! I'm gonna let it shine."  And the third concluding verse says,"Won't let Satan blow it out! I'm gonna let it shine!" There were hand motions as well!
     As I was reviewing a scripture from our Sunday worship service, this song came to mind. The scriture passage was Matthew 25:40 which says: 

And the King will answer them, "I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it for me."

At that point I thought to myself, "That is when our light shines the brightest, when we are going about doing our Heavenly Father's business here on earth and doing it as if it were done for Jesus." What a standard of service that brings to mind! So how brightly and where is your light presently shining? Does it shine most brightly when you are at church or around your Christian friends. In familiar circumstances, it doesn't seem as hard to carry our light with us. Most of these people have their lamps with them, so we seem to fit right in and be comfortable. And there we are all letting our light shine for Jesus. Hallelujah! But where do you need light the most?  Where there is darkness!
     Who is out there in that darkness? The verse refers to "the least of these brothers of mine." Jesus starts the list for us in Matthew 25.  The hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the poor, and those in prison are very specific examples. These are the people who have physical needs and the people who need Jesus. They are probably not found in our circle of friends and may not be in our socioeconomic class, but Jesus has called us to light their darkness.  And who can we add to that list today?  How about those whose lives have been turned upside down by one of the recent natural disasters... the flooding, tornadoes, and the tsunami. What about the people who have lost their jobs or all of their savings. And what of those who don't know Jesus and have lost all hope as they walk through these trials.   How extremely black their darkness must seem.  How alone they must feel without Jesus in their lives...without the knowledge of  His love and saving grace, especially in the very worst of times. We have what they so desperately are seeking.  We've heard the sermons. We've gone through the Bible studies and Sunday School classes. Our lamps are filled with the of the oil of God's word.  It's time to quit gathering information and put what we know as truth to work for the kingdom of God. 
     When was the last time you took your "light" out into the darkness to see who was out there.  Jesus wants us to step out of our comfort zone where "the least of these" are and cut through that darkness with our light.   Darkness has been scary for some of us since childhood, but we are not alone. Jesus will be at our side. Sacrifices in the form of time, money, and being less self-focused will be required, but none will equal what God sacrificed for us...His only Son, Jesus. For this we have been commissioned by God.  I have recently had opportunities to share God's light in the darkness. In the process, I feel as though I am the one receiving the blessings. Even the money I have contributed has almost to the penny come back to me from the strangest places. You cannot outgive God!
      Proudly display your light out there in the world, not under a bushel where it is not seen or solely within the walls of the church. Commit to an ongoing, close relationship with Jesus so that Satan cannot snuff it out. See who your light falls upon, and ask God for His wisdom in knowing how to minister. Then minister as if you were doing it for Jesus. Again I say, can you imagine what lengths you would go to for Him? Always remember and be thankful for the source of your light, the one who defies all darkness as stated in John 8:12--

Then Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have The Light of life."

This is our message. The time has come to take our light into the darkness and let it shine, let it shine, LET IT SHINE! To God be the glory!

                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                           

The Church Has Left the Building

( I am reaching back two years to share with you my most viewed blog, still so pertinent for today as a reminder for the need to reach beyond our church walls, to be the hands and feet of Jesus!)

  

     I found myself this week in Webster County with the sound of chain saws, cicadas, and birds all in close proximity.  I was standing where just one week ago a tornado had blasted through and left what looked like a war zone in its wake... a place where lives were changed forever.  A group from our church had traveled there to deliver school supplies for the students. Their high school had been decimated.  By the grace of God, school was not in session or there would have been countless teachers and students injured or killed.  The picture above is what is left of their gymnasium. I couldn't even comprehend what I was seeing!

    Just across the county road, Cumberland Baptist Church was swarming with volunteers who were collecting, organizing, and delivering supplies to the tornado victims. The church steeple once situated on the roof was displaced on the ground. Portions of the roof were covered with blue tarp, but this church, this group of believers was undaunted. They were busy going about God's business in their community, sharing His love as they met the present physical and emotional needs. Our church van was loaded with boxes of food to deliver on our way from the church to the interim school which had once been a junior college. One of their members, a Godly man by the name of Robert would be our guide. Having grown up in the area, he did not meet a stranger.

      Much to our surprise, at house after house the boxes of food were politely declined with instructions to give it those who had greater need for it. However, conversation and hugs were more than welcome! As we stood in yards and driveways of damaged homes littered with downed trees and debris, we listened to stories of this storm as well as life storms these people had experienced. As they had trusted God then, they were trusting Him now. Without doubt, they were confident in His love and provision . The first couple we met had moved to this area after Katrina took their home in New Orleans. The husband had been battling cancer, the contractor building their still uncompleted home had embezzled $30,000, and now the tornado. Despite repeated hardships, through tears of weariness but with resolve, they declared their faith in God to carry them through yet again. We had embarked hoping to encourage and uplift people on our way, however we found it was we who were being blessed. This was not at all how I had imagined the day would go! We had only begun with many more stops to make before arriving at the makeshift school.

     School had resumed in its new location only the day before. The tight knit community had worked tirelessly to clean the old Wood Junior College which had been closed for several years.  The recent buyer had given the building to the school for use as long as needed. God's provision was obvious.  As the school counselor took me on a tour, I was again the one encouraged by their resiliency and resolve. The halls were decorated with signs made by the cheerleaders not rooting for the home team but rooting for God. One said, "I'll praise You in this storm."  A banner spread the width of the auditorium stage with the message of Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, for the Lord your God is with you always, wherever you go!"  (wherever you go was emphasized)
     These high school teenagers were embracing their faith in God despite the inconvenience and  tragic circumstances. Their calm, orderly procession from class to class was impressive. There was beautiful music coming from the second floor chapel of the old college. The teenagers were practicing for their end of the school year concert. Life goes on. I asked the counselor where graduation, just a few weeks away, would take place. As only God could have planned, the home seating in the football stadium stood untouched in the midst of the twisted steel and debris. The visitor side no longer existed. The graduation would be held there, in the home stands on the grounds of their old school. Wow!

     We unloaded the school supplies and headed back to the church with Robert. Our mission was complete, a mission beyond my expectations. Back in the church parking lot as we were saying our good-byes, I was noticing things my mind had been unable to process earlier in the day. I had been unable to see the positive things around me like the beautiful blue sky, birds singing loudly in trees undeterred by the pieces of metal blown into the limbs by the storm, and the whirring sound of cicadas as they emerged from the ground after a thirteen year stay. The world was still turning and life in some respects remained unchanged. I will take with me the wonderful example of how God's children in this church were going above and beyond to meet any and every need in this situation. God is surely pleased. On the back of the shirts worn by our pastor and another man in our group were the words, "The church has left the building...Gone outreaching!" The Cumberland Baptist Church was a shining example of this. They are the example our group has taken back to Grenada with us. Should need arise, these Christian men and women have shown us what it would look like to spring into action. I felt a bit guilty as I returned to my status quo life at home.  For many of these people it will be a long time before they have that luxury. Please continue praying for all who were affected by the many tornadoes that ripped through the South last week. To God Be the Glory!

    
   

Where Do You Carry Your Pain?

                                           Praise be to the Lord our God, our Savior, who daily
                                                    bears our burdens.    Psalms 68:19

     My little Yorkshire terrier, Max, is no longer the young man he used to be. My six month old pup was neutered this week supposedly for his own health down the road.  Judging how he looked after surgery, he is not so sure about that right now!  Thank goodness the vet sent us home with some pain medication to help him make it through the next few days.
     The first night home I was quite concerned about him. Even after taking his medicine, Max was in so much pain that he lacked the ability to lie down comfortably. The best he could do was stand up all hunched over in the most contorted looking position.  Any efforts on our part to offer assistance were met with soft but serious growls.  It pained me to watch him. We were considering returning to the vet.  However, upon examination my husband, a physical therapist, quickly diagnosed the problem.  Max's had tightened all of his abdominal muscles in response to the pain he was experiencing, countering his abitlity to lie down and get the rest he needed.  Max was trying but not dealing effectively with his pain. His tense body language told the story well.
     God brought this question to my mind.  How do we carry our pain?  Not so much the physical pain we have to endure in life. Unlike Max, we as humans have the ability to vocalize that kind of pain and consult a physician. But what about the unseen pain of emotional scars, abuse, loss of loved ones, depression, etc.? The pain we silently carry and hope no one discerns. The pain we mask with a smile hoping to keep concealed.  Since we believe everyone else to have it all together, then certainly we, too, must keep up that same facade.
     However what others don't visibly perceive, we feel every bit as much as Max felt his pain.  And just as Max could not hide his pain from us, we cannot hide our pain from God.  He sees us in our uncomfortable looking stance, burdened with our personal pains, problems, broken dreams and insecurities. Pains that sometimes even exacerbate themselves in physical conditions such as ulcers, heart and autoimmune diseases, migraines, and nervous disorders.
     Thankfully God has just the right antidote for our pain, and as the Great Physician, He has provided us with just the correct dosage to give us the peace and healing we need.  If taken to a pharmacist the perscription would simply read - JESUS!  The time has come for us to give the situations and the pain which ensues to Him. Why do we insist on existing all doubled over, softly growling our way through life when Jesus is there to bring us much needed relief?  On the cross at Calvary, Jesus bore every bit of our sin, our pain, and suffering so that we would not have to do it on our own.

     Give it all to Jesus and find true rest in Him for whatever life has brought or will bring your way.  As I write this, Max has made a full recovery and is chasing frogs in the yard.  His pain is gone, and he seems to be excited about life again.  Jesus wants the same for us and so much more.  Look to Him to bring you joy as you rest in Him and your wounds are healed.  You probably won't find chasing frogs in the back yard as enjoyable as Max, so embark on something that does bring you joy!  What a smile that would bring to God's face just as Max in this moment brings to mine.
    
Update:  Max is now two years old and continues to be a delightful edition to our family!