“Y” is for “You are the light of the world”

by BetsyFaithPosted on No Comments

”You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When my brother and I were young, we used to enjoy skipping rocks on the water. The farm where we grew up was bordered by a river, and we also spent much of our summers at a nearby lake, so we skipped more than our fair share of rocks. Sometimes when the rock didn’t skip the way we intended, it would just sink and send out ripples in all directions. 

At some point when I was growing up, I heard someone use the common metaphor of influence spreading like ripples on the water. The image of impacting ripples reminds me of this Bible verse. Even a tiny flame can cut through the blackest of surroundings, changing not just the view or the visibility, but the possible outcome of a situation in much the same way that a single pebble can impact a massive surface of water. 

Too many times, we discount the little aspects of life as if they hold no intrinsic value. Merely seeing how much something we consider irrelevant can affect something much larger should change our perspective on such “small” details. God values and uses those seemingly unimportant things just as much as what we might consider the larger, obvious ones. 

It is beyond our cognition to see the world as God sees it with all of the intricacies that He has created and incorporated to work out for His purposes. He even knows the very hairs of each of our heads, so we can trust that even the smallest incidents or details of our lives are not there by accident. He has a plan, and He is always working, so don’t hesitate to throw that pebble and light that match when you are led to do it.

Living In Bedford Falls

by BetsyLifePosted on One Comment

A couple of months ago, my son acquired this immense sign used in a local drama production of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and I accompanied him when he picked it up. We have a history of moving items that require being strapped down on trailers or protruding from various windows of vehicles or beds of trucks. Some of those incidents include retrieving boards from a steep, snowy mountain road where they slid from the bed of my truck because the strap broke, losing one of my son’s downhill skis after hitting a frost heave hard enough to propel it from the bed of my truck, and nearly being flattened when trying to load a motorcycle up a ramp into the bed of my truck–okay, maybe most of our memorable fiascos involved objects escaping the bed of my truck, but I also have photographic evidence of various furniture and miscellaneous home improvement items like crown moulding extending from every window of cars and SUV’s. Suffice it to say, I’ve had enough experience in this realm to be somewhat pessimistic regarding the feasibility of moving something from point A to point B.

“Don’t worry, Mom, it won’t be like that time we….”

My son, on the other hand, always takes the optimistic point of view. Before he opens his mouth to speak, I can already hear him saying lines like “It’ll fit,” or “That’ll work,” or “Don’t worry, Mom, it won’t be like that time we….” Even when I’ve had significant and justifiable concerns about some of his endeavors, he somehow manages to be successful in making things happen. All of this to say, the “You are now in Bedford Falls” sign fell into this category of “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to move that in this vehicle.” 

The place where one rediscovers his faith or the value and purpose in life.

With about six or seven feet of sign projecting from the back window of my son’s SUV, we embarked on our expedition home; my son drove, and I embraced the front end of this massive wooden sign to keep it from bouncing up and damaging the dash or ceiling of his vehicle. We reminisced about crazier times when we’d moved things together, and then he impulsively asked, “Do you think getting this was a good idea?” Glancing back at the length of the sign, the end of which was bouncing somewhat tauntingly well behind the SUV, my eyes settled on the words, and I was able to articulate what that sign symbolized to me. Bedford Falls. The place where revelation and clarity and new vision reside. The place where one rediscovers his faith or the value and purpose in life. The pivotal moment or even the extended event when one learns a memorable lesson that changes his perspective forever. 

My son and I continued to pitch ideas back and forth as we drove the 45 minutes to his house. The sign arrived in one piece, and my arms held the indentations to mark my contribution in that effort. Although my son attempted to convince me that he and I could secure it in place high on the wall of his screen room, I also have enough experience to know my limitations in that realm as well, so I declined to participate in lieu of someone stronger and more agile than I am.

Life rarely deals an uneventful journey or a seamless transition…

Every time I walk out into his screen room and see that sign, I am reminded of what it represents. Life rarely deals an uneventful journey or a seamless transition, but I don’t have to wait for an annual Christmas movie to remember that I’m always in Bedford Falls. Having a colossal sign in front of me helps.

A time to wait…

by BetsyFaithPosted on 3 Comments

Although I know that my performance does not determine my worth, I am convinced it will continue to be a struggle for me to live like I believe it. Last year, I moved away from my long-time hometown. Adapting to a new area where I have no bearings has been quite the adjustment. While I didn’t have a steady job, I struggled with identifying my purpose and the direction I should be pursuing in my career.

I struggled with identifying my purpose and the direction I should be pursuing in my career.

Each time I thought I was making a right decision, I ended up in a job that was not a good fit. I was accepting offers out of desperation–the need to feel valuable, to have a sense of purpose. I was able to walk away from the first ill-fitting position, and once I realized that the second one was not for me either, I prepared to give my notice. However, the situation had already been taken into account by the powers that be, and even if I’d had any second thoughts about staying, the Lord closed that door because the place was shut down at the same time that I had planned to leave.

The decision now came down to choosing out of abundance as opposed to desperation.

For two more months, I hunted and struggled and planned and prayed, and slowly whittled away what little profit I had had from selling my home of 17 years. I had more interviews and even an offer that was similar to the first two positions that weren’t right for me, but having finally learned something, I turned it down even though it was the only offer on the table, and I was more desperate than ever to have an income. Then, all of a sudden I had an offer for a part-time position followed by two full-time positions–all of which I felt very comfortable accepting. The decision now came down to choosing out of abundance as opposed to desperation.

My mind wandered back to a year ago when I knew it was time to move after years of anticipating the move. I wondered if maybe I had gotten it wrong. Maybe I had rushed the process and should have waited until this year. But I knew that the timing had been right. Looking back on this year of job and income inconsistencies and personal struggles with purpose and direction, one might think that this was a wasted year. But it wasn’t. My outlook has evolved, and I have learned so much about where I am now in my life, both physically and mentally. This year didn’t allow me to produce much from a worldly perspective, but I have found strength and understanding that I could not have obtained any other way.

His timing is perfect regardless of my plans; I can’t mess up His plan!

I recently read a verse a friend had posted–let me rephrase that. I recently MISREAD a verse a friend had posted: I waited impatiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry (Psalm 40:1). When I realized that David had written “patiently,” not impatiently, I had to smile at my error and the fact that it wouldn’t have mattered if David had waited impatiently, because the Lord’s faithfulness doesn’t depend on our perception. I was impatient for circumstances to work out, but He still worked in my life through the process. Would it have been any different if I’d been patient? Probably not. His timing is perfect regardless of my plans; I can’t mess up His plan! And yes, I am probably just a little more sure of that now than I was a year ago.