Snippets of wisdom and food for thought from the Master's table . . .
by Linda K. Anderson
"It's
so important for writers to write. Like exercise for the body,
daily treks with writing build stronger skills!"
-- Linda K. Anderson
daily treks with writing build stronger skills!"
-- Linda K. Anderson
I
have always thought what a neat picture of friendship this
is: iron sharpens iron. I have a sharpening steel I keep in the
drawer
below my oven. I'm always pulling it out to sharpen a knife, because I
do not like dull knives. I use that long
steel and quickly pull a knife up the sharpening part and soon my knife
is
sharp and ready to do a good job at what I need it to do. Friendship is
kind
of like that - we keep each other sharp and ready to be used by God!--Linda K. Anderson
In
my thoughts below, God wanted to remind me that, yes, He created a
lovely earth, but He put His Spirit in His people. How often do I
choose to run away to the trees and hills, rather than face a difficult
person, whose life may be falling apart and I simply don't want to deal
with him or her? Too often!Mist and rain and cold wind have all been the norm the past several days, but when I looked outside into the sky this early morning, the stars were shining! Now, the fact is that the stars had not disappeared--they were only hidden by the clouds, just as in the day they are hidden by the greater light of the sun.
As I write this, the eastern sky is growing brighter and the stars can no longer be seen in that portion of the sky. It won't be long and the whole sky will be bathed in light and the brilliant autumn blue will chase away the night.
Jesus said, "I have come as a light into the world, that whosoever believes in me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46)
The Light far outshines the darkness of this world. When I ignore or neglect that Light in my life, the Light does not fade, it merely is hidden by the cloud cover of my selfish ways.
When I walk through the woods of our farm, it's a refreshing feeling of wonder at God's creation. However, I do not experience that same wonder as I walk down a crowded city street where tall buildings block much of the light from the sun. But why not wonder at God's creation in the people I see? We are each made in His image. He never said of the trees or the birds or the deer, "let us make them in our image." No, only of the man did He speak those words. Only to us humans did He send the Light of the world.
Isn't it true that we are to be light to others? Jesus told us to let our lights shine before men. Philippians 2:14-15 says, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world..."
When mankind is viewed as God-made, it's a bit easier to see good qualities in many people. And those "crooked and perverse" walking in darkness need the light as much as those walking in lesser darkness, whose sin isn't as blatant as some. To look at people through the filter of the world, I would say of one class or quality or race or financial standing, this or that person may be worthy of my time, therefore I will stay and talk to that person. But what of the "others," the ones I deem unworthy of even my thoughts? How am I to shine the light of God when I hide it from some?
When we truly shine as God's light, at the very least we can see our way through the darkness and rubble of broken lives. At the very best, we can help someone else step out of that darkness.
--Linda K. Anderson
How
easy it is to get too busy and forget that God is right here with me,
not as a task master or watching over my shoulder for me to make a
mistake. No, He is there every second with His arms surrounding me,
ready to lift me and guide me - but only if I ask. He is a gentleman,
never forcing His ways on anyone. And He is patient, waiting and
watching for us to move toward His heart of heart, onward to His haven
of rest, upward to His amazing love! -- Linda K. Anderson
Life certainly can be
difficult, but glorious too! Really and truly, the good far outweighs
the not so good in our lives!I was reading Matthew 17:1-13 about the Transfiguration. How could Peter deny Jesus after such a breathtaking experience? But isn't that true of human nature? We think we will never be the same after we see, hear, or feel some extraordinary thing. When the three disciples saw and heard such glory and beauty and majesty on that mountain top, they wanted to stay there, to build monuments to the moment, to put something sturdy into place to hold down that memory, to capture a photograph of that time and place. But some things can't be held down.
"Hear Him!" God said. The Voice, the brightness, the high glory of the Savior - how could a mere human pin that in place? We want to hold to those grand and glorious moments in time. But in the valley, where the world's life is happening, where we have to live - fear, hate, confusion, ugliness - they all distract from the beauty we beheld. But that's the point! That's the fact of the glory - it gives wings to fly above the hard things, shoes to help us walk through them, hands to help others. Love lives in spite of it all!
-- Linda K. Anderson
(more to come)
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