I know, I know. I am behind a bit in the reading but I had to spend a little extra time on a scenic overlook. Light continues to be on my mind. In my last post I talked about our function as light in the world but today I want to take about God's light in our lives.At my Bible study this past week a question was posed, "What two colors would you paint your current hardship?" It's funny how God keeps working in areas I would just as soon as forget and that particular day I was caught up AGAIN in a hurt of a broken relationship from a year ago. Though some of the pain has diminished that particular day last week I still felt sad and angry over the loss. My paint colors for this situation--Black and red. Black for the death of a friendship and red for sheer fury I felt and still feel over the circumstances that surrounded the event.
The interesting thing is when you are dwelling in darkness over something (exactly where I've been in this particular situation over these last months) you cannot see color at all. Color diminishes as the light does to the point of seeing only black and white. It takes light to see color because it's the light that actually contains the color we see. No light, no color. So when I found myself standing there in the dark of sadness, anger and frustration, all I could see was black-the terrible wrongness-of the situation. Hurt cast its shadow on the entire relationship blocking out any light.
Then, a few days ago, I had a "Let there be light" moment. You know, when God is going to show you something special he created and say to you , "Look, this is good." When I was out and about Saturday, I noticed a group of people camping at a park I was passing. It made me wonder what kind of fun they were having, what had brought them together and how they were spending the day enjoying each others company. And that's when it happened. A glimmer of light drew my attention. I started to recall a similar time when we were camping with our 'friends' and remembered how much we, too, enjoyed our time together. Over the next few miles on the drive home, God continued to remind me of the good times, the fun we had, the people we met, the work we did TOGETHER. He also pointed out that those memories did not belong in the darkness.They were good and were worth remembering.
I can't say that I won't feel angry or disappointed about the friendship that continues to exist in brokenness but I will see it in a different light when I think about it. I pray that someday each time it comes to mind, I will only see the positives that came from it and share God's sentiment, "It was good."
As for the passage we were supposed to consider here at the end of Leviticus, all I can say is there is great benefit in living in obedience to God, being holy as he is holy. It is just the best way to do life. If you don't think so just look at the list of punishments. And I really like the part at the very end of the book of "everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD." That's us. Once we have given ourselves to God we are his. There is no going back. "We are God's property." [Leviticus 27:28 The Message] And nothing or no one can take us away from him.
I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Leviticus 26:12; Ephesians 5:8-10
On to Numbers...I must catch up with the rest of you!
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