No Excuse

Dean has been asking several times if we could ride around and look at Christmas lights some evening, which was rather surprising. He's never been too interested in them other years. But tonight I set out to give him his wish. I had heard of an impressive light show at a house on the outskirts of town.

Even before we got to the first McDonald's on our prepared route though, Dean began hinting that a hamburger or a shake would be nice too, which confirmed my suspicions that he may have had another motive for his budding holiday spirit.

We got to the address I was given though, after a few detours, and the cars in front of us began slowing down and finally stopped in front of the light extravaganza. We were just beginning to see what we'd come for, when Dean started informing me that he needed to use the bathroom and we'd better head back home--quick. Remembering his recent bouts with diarrhea, I passed all the stopped vehicles and we barely got to see the light show, as we quickly sped home for his requested "pit stop".

As we almost reached our driveway, Dean, whose memory has been worse than usual lately, wondered why we were coming home so soon. I reminded him that he was needing to use the bathroom, but that we at least got out to the house with all the lights. He then chided me for not telling him the purpose of our ride and that he would have looked longer at the lights while we were out there had he known it was our destination and purpose.

I'm not sure how many emotions I was smothering about then, but I'm sure my hair has several more gray strands after our little outing.

I know God has been forthright to me about my destination and purpose in life too. It's all right there in the Bible. Jesus, the Light of the World, is there for all of us to see. There's really no excuse for not taking a long, unhurried look.

That True Light

Today I had to go in for another field vision test, so the ophthalmologist could know how to treat my glaucoma. This particular test was different from the others I did. With one eye wearing a patch, you looked at this little light and clicked a button every time you saw a flash, just a small pinpoint of light anywhere away from the light you were focused on. But I found it very hard not to avert my eyes to where the tiny flashes were coming from.

As I walked back to my car, I thought more about that difficult test and how it is so much like us to find it hard to keep our eye on Christ. Those little distracting flashes are so easy to look at, taking our eyes off "that true Light that lighteth every man that cometh in the world." John 1:9

Camera Shy

Today I was asked to read the Scripture passage before the sermon at church. So at the appropriate time, right before the services, I went to the "pastor's room" in the front of church, where others, who were having a part in the service, meet for prayer. I was told that I could sit up front on the podium or in the front pew and just come up from there to read it.

After seeing in the bulletin where the Scripture reading fit in, the last of all the preliminaries before the sermon, I chose to sit on the front pew. I remembered the videos that are taken of the services (Dean gets one every week to watch at home), and wasn't too keen on being in the spotlight up front for that long, being videotaped.

While I was sitting on that pew though, I started to think about my reluctance to be in front of the camera. I thought that I really shouldn't mind it. Aren't we all being recorded in the books of heaven, everything we say and do? That won't be just an audio recording. I'm sure it will include video footage of some kind as well.

If God is living in me, I should not be camera shy. "Let your light so shine before men, that they will see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 Remembering that Jesus is the Light, I can humbly take my assigned place and let the cameras roll.

Sunshine Visiting

I did some visiting today. Not just your ordinary "catching-up-with-friends-how-are-you-today" kind of visiting. This was special for two reasons: my granddaughter was with me--and the people we visited were people who don't get alot of visitors or even get out of their home very often.

It's such a blessing to bring a little sunshine into someone else's life. My little sunshine's name is Jenna and she's three years old. I want her to know the joy of giving a little of herself like this. She's still rather shy in public settings, but I find that she will warm up to strangers one at a time.

Alot of us adults are the same way. You would never catch us in front of a crowd performing a song or delivering a sermon (although there's nothing wrong with that, if you can). But our light can still shine in very small, and sometimes dark, places. As a matter of fact, the dark is where the light of Jesus' love is needed most. My goal is to find some dark place every day, just so I can have the joy of lighting it up!

Getting Turned Around

I'm hoping to share my thoughts and insights with others with this blog. It's a new avenue for me to accomplish this. But I'm hoping others will benefit from my "Teresa Talk" as much as I have benefited from others' blogs.

 First I must confess that autumn is my least favorite season, maybe because it speaks so much about the coming winter. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind winter too much, except that it makes the roads and sidewalks slippery.

Did anyone ever hear about my adventure going to a women's church  meeting one night and my car which I was driving did a complete cookie/circle on the corner of S. 48th and O St.?!!! I mean I was suddenly facing the oncoming traffic and had that weird feeling when you realize that you are faced totally opposite the world around you. Fortunately, I was driving slow enough that it all happened like in slow-motion, so my passenger and I suffered nothing but our hearts in our throats for a few seconds. I do credit her for being brave enough to ride with me after that though. As a matter of fact, the memory has been a source of amusement for us both.

Thinking back on it, I'm thankful that the Lord turns us around totally when we need it. We'd all better get used to going opposite those around us if we want to follow that radical, rebel, rabble-rouser of a guy called Jesus! He'll turn your world around too!!!