a lesson by moonlight

I am not a scientist by any stretch of the imagination, nor am I an astronomer. I write this post as a result of God's conviction as I walked my dog by moonlight last night. It was beauty I couldn't deny and a conviction I couldn't turn a deaf ear to. So, because I process through writing, I will write and I will share...

I messed up. I won't go into any greater detail simply because it is irrelevant. The fact is, I am a sinner saved by grace and last night the sinner within me insisted on her own way and left a trail of hurt and embarrassment in her wake. After getting the kids in bed, I took my dog for a walk so I could wrestle through some things with God. In His faithfulness He walked with me and let His light shine upon me...literally.

We live in the country. We are surrounded by farmsteads woven together through a community of gravel roads and wire fences.  As my dog and I set out on our usual route, I was blown away by the brightness of the moon. It was shining as though it were daylight. The air was cool and crisp; the forest was quiet; the moon was bright. There was no sound other than the snow crunching beneath my feet. As I walked in silence, I began to think about the moon itself. In itself it is nothing more than a rock suspended above the earth. What makes this rock any different than any other random rock-like object floating through space? It's position. You see, the moon itself was created for the specific reason to reflect the light of the sun and it was positioned specifically for that purpose.

'For what we proclaim is not of ourselves,

but Jesus Christ as Lord,

with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"

has shone in our hearts to give the light

of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay,

to show that the surpassing power belongs to God 

and not to us.'

2 Corinthians 4:5-7

'My' message and 'my writing' is not about me, but rather about what God is teaching me and teaching through me; I am merely the vessel through which He is working. But, there are moments that I step out of that place and seek glory for myself which is as ridiculous as the moon stepping away from the light of the sun to go shine on its own and claim its own fame. The moon has nothing to shine because it has no light of its own--it is merely mirroring the light of the sun. Likewise, the moon is positioned by the Creator in such a way that it is able to reflect the light in a capacity that can dispel darkness through the hours of obscurity and blackness.  What if the moon complained and resented God for its position? What if the moon felt as though the position was unfair and resolved to come up with a greater place to be suspended above the earth? Not only would the moon be void of light, but there would be a great many other things that would be affected by the change. 

So it is with me. For a moment last night I resented my position and as a result I failed to shine the light of Jesus Christ upon those around me. As I walking I was reminded that Christ has positioned me exactly where He wants me to be for the single purpose of shining His light on all those that may cross my path. He wants to use my role as a wife, mother, teacher, mentor, home maker and friend to reflect the likeness of His Son to those that need the light. God gently reminded me that it is not about me, but Jesus Christ and His beauty being reflected through me. I am not called to be understood, praised or admired, but I am called to be a servant to others and to let His light shine out of darkness.

As I was walking last night, I was realizing that God sees the whole picture when we see just a part. God saw the need for a lesser light to rule in those hours of darkness and therefore He positioned the moon in such a way as to reflect the sun's brilliant light in those hours when the sun itself does not seem present. Because the moon is there to faithfully reflect the light of the sun, it reminds us that although the sun may be set for a time, it is still very much present and is still shining, even in the brief time of darkness. 

Just as the moon is nothing more than a rock in the right position, so are we nothing more than jars of clay that are filled with the extravagant reality of His presence and power in the face of inadequacy and humanity. It is this beautiful truth that Paul calls a treasure. Rather than shake my fist and complain about my role or situation, I ought to raise my hands in gratitude for the great privilege of shining His light in the darkness. I am thankful that all I am called to be is a reflection, for if it were up to me,  it would be a very, very dark night. 

<><tce

For more encouragement, read Isaiah 60:1-3, Matthew 5:13-16 and John 1:1-18

PS... I know I said I will be walking through the Beatitudes and have not been the last few days. I will continue to write on that tomorrow--I promise! Thank you for your faithful reading; happy blogging!