The Lights
The darkened strand of Christmas lights on the bottom section of our artificial Christmas tree has bothered me since it was erected on November 24th. I dreaded the thought of finding the one "problem light" as I laboriously plotted along the cold, lonely strand bulb by bulb. I sat across the room from that tree for an entire month mindlessly thinking, Why am I so OCD that I let stupid things like this bother me?
Today the tree came down rusty, old ornament by shiny, new ornament as memories of another Christmas were gently packed into bins and hauled back to the garage for another eleven months. Before I decapitated the top section of the tree I paused...Do I take the time to check each bulb? It is getting late, and I could just do it next year when I put it back up; after all the rest of the family is hanging out and having fun. Not tonight. But my perfectionism got the best of me. I couldn't bear going through another season looking at those splotchy darkened patches on what was supposed to be the fullest and brightest part of our tree.
There I sat, cross-legged, testing bulb after bulb without success. My resentment toward my decision simmered as my family laughed and played no more than six feet away. Why did I choose to do this? When am I just going to let stuff like this go? Five bulbs...then ten...then twenty; before I knew it the entire strand had been tested. And...nothing. By this time my simmer had turned to a boil as I very much regretted my decision.
Never finding the "problem bulb," I quit. First, I decapitated the tree top. Next, I searched for the cord to unplug the middle section of the tree. There it was. Are you kidding me? But what to my wondering eyes did appear, but an extra cord near the tree's rear. That's right. There was an entire cord that never got plugged in during initial set up. This entire time I was obsessing over something that could be fixed in a matter of seconds. All I had to do was plug in the strand.
After the recliner and lamp were placed back where Old Tannenbaum had given us a month of joy as it glowed, sparkled, and safely guarded our gifts it was time for a bath.
Feet propped and water drawing I took a deep breath of satisfaction as another chore was marked off my to do list - decos down.The peppermint bark bath bomb hadn't stopped fizzing when it hit me; the lives of people who don't intimately know Jesus are very much like that dark, cold strand of lights. How many years did I search and search bulb by bulb and weakness by insecurity to find which fix would do the trick? How much time did I spend trying just one more thing or reading just one more self-help book to brighten up who I was as a person? The sleepless nights. Looking toward others for approval. Fooling myself into thinking I'd almost attained perfection only to find another bulb was burned out and I had to go searching for a fix. It was exhausting.
Isn't Jesus so simple? Doesn't He wait patiently like that limp forgotten cord until we come to the end of ourselves, our searching and our trying? He is resting the entire time, power fully His and fully ready to be accessed...He sits...He waits.
We don't have to examine, test and try every bulb. We only need to plug in to the One who authorizes the power to light each bulb simultaneously. He can make new, restore, heal, and fix in an instant what we may attempt to work and try our whole lives to fix without success. "This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength" 1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT.
As the New Year approaches plug into the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and a genuine relationship with Him. What will it take for you to come face to face with His power and glory in authentic relationship? Are you weary of trying to "fix" your flaws in your own strength? Jesus is simple. Jesus is waiting. All you have to do is ask. May your 2018 be filled with His peace as you journey with Him each day and each step of the way. "Let your light(bulbs) shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven" Matthew 5:16 NLT.
Today the tree came down rusty, old ornament by shiny, new ornament as memories of another Christmas were gently packed into bins and hauled back to the garage for another eleven months. Before I decapitated the top section of the tree I paused...Do I take the time to check each bulb? It is getting late, and I could just do it next year when I put it back up; after all the rest of the family is hanging out and having fun. Not tonight. But my perfectionism got the best of me. I couldn't bear going through another season looking at those splotchy darkened patches on what was supposed to be the fullest and brightest part of our tree.
There I sat, cross-legged, testing bulb after bulb without success. My resentment toward my decision simmered as my family laughed and played no more than six feet away. Why did I choose to do this? When am I just going to let stuff like this go? Five bulbs...then ten...then twenty; before I knew it the entire strand had been tested. And...nothing. By this time my simmer had turned to a boil as I very much regretted my decision.
Never finding the "problem bulb," I quit. First, I decapitated the tree top. Next, I searched for the cord to unplug the middle section of the tree. There it was. Are you kidding me? But what to my wondering eyes did appear, but an extra cord near the tree's rear. That's right. There was an entire cord that never got plugged in during initial set up. This entire time I was obsessing over something that could be fixed in a matter of seconds. All I had to do was plug in the strand.
After the recliner and lamp were placed back where Old Tannenbaum had given us a month of joy as it glowed, sparkled, and safely guarded our gifts it was time for a bath.
Feet propped and water drawing I took a deep breath of satisfaction as another chore was marked off my to do list - decos down.The peppermint bark bath bomb hadn't stopped fizzing when it hit me; the lives of people who don't intimately know Jesus are very much like that dark, cold strand of lights. How many years did I search and search bulb by bulb and weakness by insecurity to find which fix would do the trick? How much time did I spend trying just one more thing or reading just one more self-help book to brighten up who I was as a person? The sleepless nights. Looking toward others for approval. Fooling myself into thinking I'd almost attained perfection only to find another bulb was burned out and I had to go searching for a fix. It was exhausting.
Isn't Jesus so simple? Doesn't He wait patiently like that limp forgotten cord until we come to the end of ourselves, our searching and our trying? He is resting the entire time, power fully His and fully ready to be accessed...He sits...He waits.
We don't have to examine, test and try every bulb. We only need to plug in to the One who authorizes the power to light each bulb simultaneously. He can make new, restore, heal, and fix in an instant what we may attempt to work and try our whole lives to fix without success. "This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength" 1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT.
As the New Year approaches plug into the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and a genuine relationship with Him. What will it take for you to come face to face with His power and glory in authentic relationship? Are you weary of trying to "fix" your flaws in your own strength? Jesus is simple. Jesus is waiting. All you have to do is ask. May your 2018 be filled with His peace as you journey with Him each day and each step of the way. "Let your light(bulbs) shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven" Matthew 5:16 NLT.
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