Christ Colored Lenses - Bonita Y. McCoy

Proverbs 7:2 “Stay true to my directives, and they will serve you well; make my teachings the lens through which you see life."

(The Voice Bible)

  

Miss Vogt, my fifth grade teacher, wrote a note letting my parents know that I couldn't see

the blackboard. School hadn't been in session long, but everyday, by the end of the day, my head 

ached, and my eyes felt tired.

"She needs glasses," said the doctor. "She's near-sighted."

The lady in the outer office helped me pick out my first frames. Right off the bat, I noticed

pair that were blue like the sky with splashes of varying colors on the earpieces.

Rainbows - To me, they were beautiful.

But it was the lenses that made everything sharp, clear.

My world came into focus - I could see the blackboard now and knew what the assignments                 were I needed to do. I knew what time it was because I could see the clock on the wall.

I even knew when the teacher put my name on the board for misbehaving.

Because I looked through the right lenses, the ones that corrected my sight, my world took on             a clear, vibrant shape.

God's Word is the lens 

that focuses our lives.

That's how it is when we look through the lenses of God's teachings. 

We get a clear, correct picture.

We can see good gifts in times of hardship; we can see love when we are tried and pushed. We             can see God's hand moving when all looks to be at a stand still, and there appears to be no                   escape.

With God's teaching as our lens, we can see small as powerful, loyal as worthy, and simple as             wise.

Father,

Through Your teachings, may I see as You see.

Blessings,

bym

Uninvited - Bonita Y. McCoy

The word uninvited has cropped up numerous times in my world over the last few weeks.

It's not a word I like. It goes against my world view of loving your fellow man and doing good to all especially those of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10).

Uninvited teems with negative, unkind, unloving connotations.

I recently came across it in an article about a Tibetan Monk who said, "When I was younger I was always called 'the uninvited guest of the universe'."  His mother had been unwed when he was born, and his birth had been an embarrassment to the family, so this was his nickname, uninvited.

The word also appeared as a title to a new book by Lysa Terkuerst, a Christian author.  The book was written to help women who do not feel welcomed by the world to feel welcomed by God. It is to point them to the one who loves unconditionally and forgives beyond measure.

Uninvited builds fences. It keeps people out.

Then later that week, I received an invitation to a wedding. I was an invited guest.

The door opened, and I was hugged and welcomed with joy.

I believe we are called to be the ones to welcome, to hug, to receive with joy.

I believe that unlike the monk who was considered the 'uninvited guest of the universe' we as Christ followers are called to be the inviters of the universe.

Jesus in Matthew 22 tells of a king who was giving a wedding banquet for his son. He had invited several guests who refused to come. So, the king sent out his servants (that's us) to invite anyone and everyone to fill his banquet room. Our job isn't to decide who is worthy to be invited, or job is simply to give the invitation.

Uninvited is a terrible state to be in, don't leave anyone feeling left on the fringes. Instead, invite them in and show them the way to the Father.  

bym