Luke 11:33-36 The Message

^33-36 “No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It’s put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they’re going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don’t get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room.”

Reflection

A few years ago I asked for a teapot for my birthday.  I didn’t have a lot of stipulations about it, except that it be one that not leak and spill everywhere (If you’ve had one of those you know exactly what I’m talking about!).  I got a lovely teapot for my birthday.  Except it was a strange shade of red.  Red doesn’t match our kitchen or our dishes. Red didn’t match my office colours.  Red didn’t match any of the teacups I had.  Even though it poured beautifully, I didn’t love the teapot….because it was red.  And it was different than what I was expecting – and because of that I could not see the benefits and beauty of the teapot.

Today, in an attempt to make my own iced tea, I got out the red teapot.  When Kevin saw what I was doing he commented, “Hey, you’re using the red teapot.  I love that teapot – I think the red just looks so happy.”  Kevin saw something than I hadn’t taken the time to notice.

Suddenly I saw the teapot differently.  He’s right- it does look happy. And it is solid, with a good handle.  It pours beautifully and the lid doesn’t jiggle when you pour it. Today I saw a great teapot that was easy to use.  And my eyes were opened in a new way.

Yes, it was simply a teapot – however it was also a great reminder for me today.  Sometimes we judge things for all the wrong reasons.  Sometimes we close our eyes to the beauty of a situation or a person. Sometimes we get so caught up in the negativity that we cannot see anything else and we miss out on so much. It is often easier to see the flaws and to focus on what we perceive to be missing.

Scripture teaches us to live in wide-eyed wonder and belief, so that we might be filled with light. The reading encourages us to keep our life well-lighted.

Is there an area of your life that needs some light? Where is God calling you to look again?

Prayer

God, it is easy for me to see the negative and what is missing. Open my eyes in wide-eyed wonder and belief so that I might be filled with light. Help me to see what and who you need me to see in a new way. Amen.

To Listen and Sing: Sorry, I couldn’t resist…..