This is a pretty picture isn’t it? The flower and the butterflies are just lovely but their reflection in the water is a little distorted.
Distortion often happens on still water like a lake or pond when the wind blows just hard enough or someone tosses a rock in the water or sometimes when a bird swoops down for some prey or when a big boat makes big waves and even when there are people or animals splashing about.
As I look at this picture, I can clearly see the flowers and butterflies when I look directly at them but if I’m looking at the water, it’s almost impossible to make out what I’m looking at.
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God created us in His image and set before us a path unique to each one of us.
As Christians, we are called to REFLECT Him through our actions, our thoughts, and our words, so that others may see the redemption, kindness, love, and grace that He has brought into our lives and that He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son and thus into the kingdom of Light to be a light. By representing God in all that we do, we can help others see Him!
John 8:12 says, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” We are to reflect God and shine His light to others, as His light is shone onto us. We are God’s disciples, which means that we have been filled with a spiritual light that cannot be extinguished; we just need to let it shine!
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I must admit to you that today God’s reflection in me just might have a few ripples in it today. But on most everyday, most of us are faced with the fact that someone threw a rock in our water or there is stormy weather and the water is unclear and muddy or there are some mighty big boats making waves and there is always the satanic birds of prey that are just ready to swoop down at any moment and then, just life! People splashing about like small children(no offense intended - I love children) or intense demands of jobs and the weight of sickness and plagues that won’t go away and the corruption in our world and specifically our country.
But take heart - have hope - how? Know your God - study your Creator - lean on your Savior - count on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Even when there are ripples and the reflection is unclear, we are still being transformed into our purpose of glorifying God. Our job is twofold - reflect God but to also always, always, always point others to look at God directly and specifically to tell them about Jesus and to disciple them to be able to open His word and see Him more clearly than will ever be possible by looking at mere humans.
So, right now, when I’ve not had up my shield of faith and too many rocks have landed in my heart and I’ve got too many ripples to be a clear reflection of my Father and the helmet is sideways and my shoes of peace are not firmly planted, I need to go stare directly at my Father for a while. He will cause the rocks to sink, the storm to calm and the noise to be quiet and He will restore my soul.
Join me won’t you?
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