Monday, September 10, 2012

Jesus’ Light Shines In The Details

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. -- 1 Peter 2:9

Sometimes I really get in a tizzy. There’s just no other way to describe it. Things aren’t going as I planned, are likely careening out of control, and I’m a mess.

Deep breath, I tell myself. My mind races to quote Scripture to myself in the midst of frantic thoughts of doomsday. Not THE doomsday, you understand. Nothing that serious. Just my panicked thoughts of what night happen because my plans have gone awry.

It’s been that kind of year. I make plans and other people’s lives change my plans. It’s just how it is. Most of the time I laugh it off. There’s no point in getting upset about something that can’t be helped and, really, I’m blessed and I know it.

And then there are those days. I’m tired. Burnt out. Crabby. I just don’t feel like dealing with the issues other people are throwing at me. But I have to deal with them anyway.

That leaves me with a choice: Do I show them how put out I feel or do I show them that even in irritating circumstances Jesus’ light still shines within me? Because how we react when things aren’t going the way we want is how people truly see Jesus in our lives.

We don’t just belong to Him when things are going great. And we don’t just belong to Him when we’re sick or facing heartache or some other devastating trouble. We’re His in the details of our lives and that’s where others see Him best.

So in the midst of my tizzy, what are others seeing? A frustrated woman who is upset at the world? Or a woman holding tightly to Jesus while the waves of life knock her around?

And what about you? Surely you didn’t think you’d get a pass on this one. Because we all have meltdowns from time to time. We all tend to forget our manners, forget who we belong to, forget that this moment will pass and that it really isn’t important anyway.

And that’s why I’ve learned to laugh. It isn’t always easy but it helps me keep the little things in perspective. Laughter helps me focus on what matters and how blessed I truly am. I’ve walked that other path and, believe me, these small irritations are nothing much to worry about. I just grab hold of Jesus’ hand knowing He can handle anything that comes my way.