Congratulations to the winners of last week’s giveaway for two books! I used a random number generator to draw the winners, who are: Loree Hueber, Extravagant Worship, and Pat Trainum, Kiss of Heaven. Loree and Pat, if you could contact me privately with your mailing addresses, I’ll get your books ordered. Everyone else, these books by worship leader Darlene Zschech are totally worth the price!
Five.
Had to stand on a chair for a couple of them and everything. And I was really proud of myself.
That is, until I asked myself, how had I arrived at the point of having five burnt out light bulbs? Shouldn’t I have sprung into action somewhere between dead bulbs two and three?
And as I slid from proud to slightly concerned at my obvious lack of home care skills (or maybe simple oblivion) that feathery voice of my conscience joined in:
Hey, Melissa, think about this a little more. There’s an application.
Hmm. Do I…maybe…sometimes…let the light bulbs of my faith burn out one by one…? Until I’m in a dark place—maybe worry or stress or frustration—a place I wouldn’t be if I’d paid attention to that very first flicker?
Lest you worry we’ve entered object lesson territory, rest easy. No playing teacher today. Instead, I’m simply curious:
What would you say are the “light bulbs” of our faith? Prayer, daily quiet time, church, those are a given. But what are the other things we can do to keep our faith shining bright in our everyday lives and ward off the darkness?
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I meet with several women each week on Thursday to pray for our nation in conversational prayer. And each Thursday I come away filled with peace and strength and joy. One day one of the ladies prayed, “Well, Lord, we’re here so it must be Thursday morning.”
I wouldn’t miss this time with God and my friends for anything!
Oh,and thank you Random Number Generator for choosing me!!!
Congrats on winning, Pat. 🙂 I’ll get your book ordered today. Woohoo! And that sounds like an awesome group of friends to meet with each week.
I like that verse that tells us to be sober and vigilant and not to be ignorant of the enemy’s tactics. One light bulb goes unnoticed, even 2 or 3. Kind of like those dumb phrases we stick into our mss every other paragraph and don’t realize are there.
Also, laziness is a big factor of letting bulbs burn out. No offense! bwahahahaha! I’m guilty. Spiritual sluggard. Been there. Done that. And just to let you know, I have 5 out of 8 bulbs out across my bathroom mirror. I now feel so pathetic! LOL
Haha, good analogy with the dumb phrases that end up in our manuscripts!
And no offense taken. 🙂 Laziness, for sure. I mean, dude, it would’ve taken me 10 minutes to run to the store and buy bulbs. Two of my burnt out bulbs were in my bathroom, too. I think what finally convinced me to change them was suddenly worrying that I was going around with clown-like makeup since I was putting it on in the half-dark. 🙂
For me it’s letting defeat settle in…or at least the feeling of defeat…and then all those little thoughts that come with it that keep me from trying again. It’s one of those issues I have to be vigilant to stomp out immediately or I’m toast–or to use your analogy, I’m sitting in the dark and don’t even know where to begin to plug in the bulbs!:)
Oh yeah. Even an inkling of defeat can be sooo uproarious in our emotions.
Our light bulbs tend to fizzle at the same time around here, too. And I can really relate to this post. I’ve been running around like a weirdo, trying to get a million things done, and last night I thought–what am I doing? I’m not putting God first. Shouldn’t He be first??
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend, too! Hope all the moving craziness settles soon. 🙂
We were just discussing this in my mom’s group the other night. How to be proactive.
Time outside is huge for me. Time to read. Laughter!
~ Wendy
I second you on the laughter!
Love this! For me, one light bulb is fellowship. Meeting with a friend and talking one-on-one about what’s really going on in our lives, and praying for each other. It feels good to really connect with someone like that and to have a friend pray for you. Really lights me up with encouragement.
Love this application!
“Really lights me up with encouragement.” Way to stick with the metaphor. I love it. 🙂 And I love fellowship too!
Doing the right thing keeps our lights lit, I think. Saying no to ourselves (aka flesh). Stuff like that. 🙂 I tend to let my lights go out too before I change the bulbs.
Saying no to myself is especially hard if there’s ice cream involved.
But seriously, you’re so right. I think the more we make right choices, the more natural it becomes to do the right thing the next time…and it keeps our figurative lights bright consistently.
I’m with Wendy on this one–walks outside. I really connect with God when it’s nothing but Him, the night around me, and my dog eating the occasional piece of trash on the road.
That last part made me giggle. 🙂
Woot! on the book.
I love this post. I’m with Lindsay on this one – fellowship. I tend to allow some fellowship time to skirt by me sometimes. I need keep watch on those light bulbs and not allow them to burn out.
I think I feel closer to God when I’m in His nature world – looking about His heaven and earth.
Yay for you winning the book! Woohoo! You can email me (melissatagg[dot]yahoo[dot]com) with your mailing address or message me on facebook. Either way, and I’ll get that book ordered. Fun!
I think being positive is a light bulb in our faith. When I start to grouch or complain, my light begins to flicker. Another is speaking kindly about others when they are not within hearing (and especially if they are!). I’ve found that after a family gathering it’s easy for my husband and I to start grouching even before we leave the driveway of our parents’ homes. “I wish so and so would have disciplined their child a little better today” or “Can you believe so and so didn’t help clean up supper?” And on and on. It’s a major faith dimmer and can be very destructive – especially when there are little ears in the backseat soaking it all up. This is something we work on and try to avoid.
Being positive, oh yes. I think it’s something we literally have to train our minds on…the way we’d train our muscles.
OK, Melissa, this was just plain uncanny! Seriously! I got back from the store not too long ago, bought light bulbs because well, first the laundry room was just a bit dim, then last night it was just plain ole dark as the last bulb bit the dust. (literally, it’s one of those fixtures you have to unscrew and disassemble to clean) I was also disappointed b/c the bulb I needed for above the kitchen island was $5.99! (granted it was at a grocery store, but $5.99?!? needless to say, things are still a bit dim in the kitchen)
Anyway, this is what I have been thinking about the whole light bulb thing. When you get your new bulb put in, and you go to flip that switch, what do you expect to happen? (Drum roll or jeopardy music) You expect to receive light. So, I think a big thing for me is the whole just learning to receive from God. It is also very comforting for me to know that He knows what it is exactly that I need to receive from Him. Hey, if I can trust the electricity to empower that little lightbulb (which I might add only cost me 25 cents, say does anyone know where the cent sign is on a keyboard?), I can certainly trust God’s Spirit to light me up as I open my hands and heart to receive daily from Him.
Hey, I have several extra light bulbs of various sizes now. What kind do you need for the kitchen? 🙂
And amen to everything you said. You know, I didn’t think about that part of it–the whole turning on the light switch thing. I/we’ve been talking about these “faith light bulbs”–prayer and reading the Bible and fellowship–but there’s a power source behind all those things. The light bulb doesn’t do the work on its own…God is our power source…cool!
P.S. Don’t I get a book or something for leaving the longest comment?
Hehe, ummm, yeah actually I believe I already owe you a copy of From the Ground Up. 🙂 Maybe I can get it printed tomorrow and bring it for you on Sunday…when I pick up my new car! Yippee!
Melissa,
It’s Saturday — but I left your post up because I wanted to read it. And I’m so, so glad I did.
Lightbulbs … for me, praying with another believer makes a huge difference in my faith walk. Having that time of honesty and spiritual intimacy is so vital.
And the truth is, I haven’t had it in a while.
Hhhhm.
I need to change that light bulb.
Another thing for me is listening to praise and worship music. That is such an easy way to set my heart and mind on the right things.
You mention honesty and spiritual intimacy, Beth…I think that’s so important. And yet, I am sooo prone to hole away, do my thing, and not let friends–even some of my best–past the “everything’s great!” mask. But those deeper, intimate friendships are so incredibly vital, like you said. Your comment is a seriously good reminder to me…
This. Is. SO. Good, Melissa.
Thanks, Katie. I love how sometimes God can get our attention even in the mundane things of life…like light bulbs. 🙂
Ohhh, very well said Melissa.
For me , it’s music. From choral pieces to Newsboys, if it lifts up the Lord’s name, I’m listening to it. Loud.
And just so you know , the hero in my WIP, sorta shares your name…
Ooh, cool! Does she share the Melissa part or the Tagg part? 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Jennifer. Oh, and I agree–music!
*He* shares the Tagg part. His name is the Navajo word for “without” which is “ta-gaid”. Informally, his name is “Tag”.
I think each time we compromise – whether it’s engaging in gossip, or watching something that isn’t edifying, or thinking thoughts that we ought not – our faith flickers a bit. After awhile, our conscience gets “seared” and we need to re-light that flame. Great post!