Bright Light

On top of the dresser across the room from the foot of my bed sits this ceramic Nativity set. My grandmother made it for us as a Christmas gift when we were newlyweds. It is a treasured possession.

This past Saturday too cold for my customary early morning long run outdoors, I decided to sleep in. About 7:00am my dear bride decided that was enough sleep. She did not turn on the overhead light, however. She switched on the solitary, little bulb within the Nativity.

It shown boldly into the darkened room.

"Oh, that's a bright light," she said as she left me laying there to ponder.

A bright light in a dark room.

A stand-in star illuminating a minature ceramic newborn.

My mind tumbled from Scripture to Scripture...

Just days after his birth taken to the Temple to fulfill the Law, elderly Simeon praises God with infant Jesus in his arms in Luke 2:30-32,

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.

At the beginning of his preaching ministry, Matthew 4:16 records Jesus' fulfillment on Isaiah 9:1-2,

the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Indeed, the Prologue to the Gospel of John announces of Jesus in 1:4-5 & 9,

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

Jesus is the light of the world.

A bright light.

Let him shine.

The Green Volvo Experience

We owned a Volvo from 1998-2008. Almost exactly like one pictured here. 1994 Volvo 940 sedan. Dark metallic green. Ours had hubcaps. Nothing fancy other than the heated gray clothe seats—standard issue in Swedish cars I guess. It was boxy. But safe.

Just a year into our married life my wife was run off the road, flipped and totaled her Cutlass Supreme. Recovering from the accident wasn’t as much about physically injuries. Miraculously, she had a small cut on one finger, a little knot on here head, and her entire body was sore for a week. Getting back to driving after such trauma took time, however.

We’d finally found the car of her dreams. A little red sports car. We had no kids. Why not? But she didn’t feel safe. I went back to the dealership and asked, “Do you have anything safer?”

“We just got this one in. A Volvo. You can’t get safer.”

After a quick inspection and a short drive, I decided to pick her up from work in it. Dark green and Volvo were not on our car wish list. But the price and reputation were persuasive enough. And so, for a decade, my wife drove a green Volvo.

As new Volvo drivers, I’ll never forget how many other Volvos we noticed on the roads around our home in Arlington, Texas. “They’re everywhere! Where’d all these Volvos come from?!”

Oh, wait. They were already out there. We just never noticed. Why notice boxy Volvos—green or any other color—when you’d never imagine driving one? Until you did.

Think about examples like these in your life…

• It doesn’t matter what God instructs about parenting. My kids are great. Until they aren’t.
• Who cares what the Bible teaches about money? I don’t have money trouble. Until you do.
• I’m fine without hearing the Holy Spirit’s voice. I’m making it okay on my own. Until you aren’t.
• I don’t care that Jesus died for me. Who needs abundant or eternal life? Until you do.

We don’t discover the ubiquity of Volvos until we own a green one. There is so much traffic in our lives that we learn to pay attention only to what meets our needs or piques our interests.

We don’t notice until it affects us: the Green Volvo Experience.

Maybe reading this can be your Green Volvo Experience with God. You can decide right now to prioritize your relationship with him. To spend time with Him through the Bible & in prayer. To notice Him at work around you & join Him there.

Seek the Lord while He may be found;

call to Him while He is near.

Let the wicked one abandon his way

and the sinful one his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord,

so He may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for He will freely forgive.

—Isaiah 55:6-7 HCSB—

Before you go on to your next busy task, take a moment to pray about what God is saying to you through this post. And, as always, share a comment and share this article using the tools below.

Hairbrush

I wear my hair relatively short. The same style for years. In addition to short, it’s been thinning too. And, although my hair is relatively trained, I still need a to use a hairbrush so it doesn’t look too disheveled. 

My hairbrush. For my short hair. In my drawer. In my bathroom. Just for me. Mine.

Since it’s my brush, I don’t have the habit of looking at it before lifting it to my head. I just use it.

Recently, however, strange hair has been showing up in my brush. I never notice it until I feel all those stray, foreign invader hairs brush against my own no hair ever touches it ear. Agh! 

This strange hair is long. And it’s auburn. For some reason or another my dear daughter—the brown-eyed, auburn-haired princess she is—has been using my hairbrush.

To some of you who wear long hair or have think hair, having hair all hanging out of your hairbrush all the time, this hair in the brush business is just life. But for this fella it’s been a bit of a shock.

Agh! There is hair in my brush! That just feels weird. How do other folks even stand it?

Those are the thoughts that roll through my mind each time I lower the brush from my head and pull all the auburn hair out. But I don’t holler at my sweet daughter. I haven’t even told her not to use my brush. No, I smile. And I thank God for entrusting to me such an amazing young lady. Growing in grace and spirit, intelligent and witty; she humbles me.

Children are a gift from the Lord;

they are a reward from him.

—Psalm 127:3

I could go on and on about her. And then I could get started on my boys. If you are a parent, no doubt you could do the same. What blessings our kids are! Gifts. Rewards. Let’s treasure them. No matter their hair in your brush or their stinky feet or their anything else annoying or difficult. Be thankful that you have them hair and feet and all! 

By the way, next time you see her—my precious, auburn-haired princess—please don’t tell her you read this. Just smile at her. Like I do. And, like me, be thankful to God for entrusting her to us. Be thankful for every child God has allowed in your life. Learn from them. They are a gifts. Even if they do you use your hairbrush.

Tone of Voice

"I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you."                   Galatians 4:20 HCSB

How many times did my Mama say, "You better change the tone of your voice, Mister," when I was being disrespectful.

How many times I've said to my kids, "Watch the tone of your voice," when they are sounding ugly to ne another or me.

And, let's be equal opportunity here, how many times could my kids say to me, "Daddy, you should change your tone of voice."

Yes, we can all do it, can't we? Take a tone that may be stronger than needed or deserved.

Which speaks more, the words you say or the tone with which you say them?

Paul is writing the dear, misdirected Galatians. These Christ followers started out well, but got side-tracked by lesser things and allowed lesser character to control.

He asks, "how is it that you are turning back to that way of life?," in verse 9. He says, "I fear for you, verse 10, & "I plead with you," verse 12. Like a parent talking to children who should know better. Maybe like a parent begging adult children who absolutely know better. Paul is exhorting them.

Then he does it. He calls them, "My dear children," in verse 19. See. It never changes. From almost two thousand years ago until today, parents have had to take a tone with their children. Parents don't want to have to use that tone of voice. Paul even wrote that he didn't want to have to take that tone. But he did, as the NIV translates, "because I am perplexed about you!"

Some folks will take a tone with you just because they can, just because they are mean, or for no reason at all.

Yet if God—by His Holy Spirit, through His Word, or from a trusted Christ follower—takes a tone with you, you'd better listen up. Know that He loves you. Know that He doesn't want to be harsh. But know that He is trying to get your attention. Even if He has to use a tone of voice outside of the norm.

To Be Angry

And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”—Jonah 4:4, ESV

Jonah, God bless him, didn’t want to go preach God’s grace to Nineveh. He wanted the wicked Ninevites to suffer God’s wrath. He knew God’s grace was too great. Even for evil Nineveh.

Sure enough the Ninevites repent and turn to God from their sin. And Jonah, God bless him, was exceedingly displeased and angry. Angry with God. THE compassionate God who just spared Nineveh. THE compassionate God who is now sparring Jonah rather than zapping him.

Jonah said famously of God in 4:3 (ESV), “for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”

It's like Jonah was saying, “I knew it. That’s why I didn’t wanna go. I knew it. That’s why I’m angry with you God. Yeah, God, I gotta lotta nerve to be angry with you.”

As I’m getting a chuckle out of self-righteous, sovereignty-assuming Jonah, I read verse 4. I’m stifled by recollection of my own foolish anger. 

“Do you do well to be angry?,” I query. “Well, no. Not really. I act foolish. I lose my cool. My anger bothers—even hurts—others. It makes the situation worse. It is... sinful. God, forgive me. Let me trust you.”

Anger, the inward emotion, happens.

Anger, the outward expression, is a choice.

Anger expressed betrays wicked hearts. Faithless hearts. More intent on human ways than God's sovereignty. 

I don’t do well to be angry. God bless me.

Really, God, bless me to trust you more and angrily react less.