Our church in downtown Shreveport is known for a lot of things. It literally is at the head of Texas street. Meaning, as you drive through downtown, the main traffic road takes you directly to the sanctuary of FUMC and dead ends. Our church is on a hill. Literally at one of the highest peaks in the city. Our steeple. Well, currently, our lack there of. Rumor has it that Hank Williams Sr. was coming into Shreveport, LA, on the back of a flat bed trailer and after seeing our steeple at the head of Texas, he was so inspired that he penned the words to "I Saw the Light" (still seeking out the truth in that but it sounds good to me). Then there are our stained glass windows. Always been fascinated by stained glass windows. I literally can sit and stare at them for hours. They tell stories. They have color that is rich, deep and beautiful.
It wasn't until recently, however, that I ran into the wisdom of one of our staff members at the church that gave me a challenge. He told me to step up to one of our windows at FUMC and put my nose up against it. Now, I am a gullible person so it was easy for me to envision my sticking my nose to the glass only to have the staff member slap me on the back of the head leaving me a bloody nose and running off laughing (yes, we have those kind of people on staff). But, I went for it. Actually stuck my nose on the glass. Then I was asked the question, "What do you see."
It was an awkward moment for me trying to focus on what was in front of me. Really, I could make out color, lines, but honestly, I had no idea what I was looking it. What I was looking at was beautiful but, really, it was a picture I couldn't make out. Then, I was asked to step back and explain what I saw. It was at that moment that I took 5 steps back and it all came into focus.
I haven't forgotten that moment and here's why.
Today has been "one of those days". I feel like the more I have tried to walk towards God, the more I have been pushed, shoved and thrown off the path multiple times. The things I thought were in place, I have found they are not. The things I thought I had control of, I did not.
Then, in the midst of this day, a beautiful reminder of stained glass.
Maybe you are there. Take refuge in this: what you face, what you see may not make sense to you now. It may be various colors, shades and lines that are completely undecipherable that looks like chaos. But the truth is, God is still making a beautiful work in your life even if you don't see it. Take some steps back and may you be reminded that you may not get it today, but God is still very present and at work, even when we don't see it. So my challenge to you is to take some steps back and remember that you were put here to shine, bringing out the God colors in the world.
You are prayed for!
His Peace,
Mark
"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:15-17 MSG)
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