Foggy Mirrors

I’ve mentioned before that our house is not terribly young. As a result, it is designed much more for function than for form. As a result, the bathrooms are very simple, and not too large. What that basically means is that you get what you need, and nothing more. With the exception of some really nice tile work that a good friend did for us, they are very basic. In the Master Bath, the ceiling is literally about seven feet, and you can pretty much touch both walls at the same time if you stand in the middle of the room. There is only a stand-up shower, a toilet, and a sink. There is a vent, but because the room is so small, if anyone takes a hot shower, the mirror in there still fogs up pretty quickly.

About a year ago, I discovered one trick to kind of help with that. We have a little tower fan that stands about eighteen inches high, and we have a little towel rack/shelf combo on the wall perpendicular to the mirror. If we run the fan pointed directly at the mirror while we shower, as well as running the vent, we have no fog, and can see when we get out. However, if you forget to turn on the tower fan, it still takes awhile to de-fog after the steamy shower. Just goes to show that a little preparation goes along way.

I tend to see the world in a way that shows me even little applications that relate back to Biblical principles. I believe it is a blessing that God gives me. Unless it’s one of those times I’m smacked in the head about how I’m doing it wrong. Then I don’t like it so much.

There are definitely things that happen in life that we don’t see coming. If we live every day expecting tragedy and heartache, then we miss out on the abundant life that is available for followers of Christ, as He told us in John 10:10. However, since we also know that things come out of the blue, there are some things we can do in a general sense that will help. As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth an apple a day.” Or something like that.

If you read the book of Daniel, you get a glimpse of a man and his friends who were committed to following God no matter what the consequences were. As it turns out, the consequences were death sentences in more than one of those stories, and yet, God showed up and saved the day. I think you can trace it back to one little verse. Daniel 1:8 says, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself…” In this context, it was a resolution not to eat the food of the King, which because of the way it was prepared, would have been a direct violation of God’s laws.

However, I believe that goes to a deeper issue than just the food. Having been captured and brought to a place where any and all things of a “worldly” nature would have been made available to Daniel, and none of which would have been honoring to God, Daniel made his decision not to dishonor God, no matter what. The words that we translate as “resolved,” or “Made up his mind” in some translations, are Hebrew words that literally mean “to set, ordain, establish, or determine the inclination, resolution, determination of will, conscience, or heart of moral character.” (See why there are so many English Translations and versions?)

In other words, if you’ll indulge me, Daniel decided that no matter what came his way in this little Babylonian adventure, He would honor God first and foremost--even if it cost him his life. Daniel was making some preparations. The food being offered made it very clear to him that in this place away from home, there would be many things within his reach that appealed to his flesh, but were sinful in God’s eyes. He wanted to Honor God, so he established his spiritual and moral boundaries in anticipation of what could possibly happen. As a result, you can read that Daniel not only stayed faithful to God, but earned respect and audience from, and outlived three different kings in the process.

No, we don’t know what this life will bring, but by now, it should be very obvious to anyone that our culture makes sure we have readily available many worldly things. In a consumer world, if we have the cash, we can have the stash. If we’re willing to pay enough, and look in the right places, we can pretty much get whatever we want. This is NOT a good thing, and if we have not already determined and set the inclinations of our inner heart towards the things of God, we might find ourselves up to our eyeballs in sinful behavior.

Our mirrors will be exposed to the steam of this world. Our decision to be prepared and keep the fan on may be what it takes to keep us from getting covered in a sinful “fog.” The more “foggy” things become, the more difficult to even see your sin issues.

What is your fan? Is it reading the Word of God? Is it remaining active in a faith community at church? Are you praying that you will spot the extra-humid places before it’s too late? Do you have friends that will hold you accountable to your “fan plan?” Whatever you choose to do, do something. Be proactive, and keep your heart set to honor God, no matter what.

Spiritual Zits

FYI: I hope the new layout is not too confusing for you, but I wanted to keep it fresh!

I know that I am not old. There are people who laugh when folks of my age begin to talk of “getting old.” It’s at this point that I would like to quote a very wise song-writer name Jon Bon Jovi: “Like your favorite pair of torn blue jeans, this skin I’m in’s alright with me. I’m not old--just older.” I’ve gotten used to who I am, and I’m cool with the whole idea that I’m not going to be “young” forever. I also ascribe to the whole “you’re as young as you feel” mentality, and hope I can hang on to my “young mindset” for many years to come. I also hope that my “appreciation” for quotation marks remains.

So, this part about getting older. First, my hair started falling out. Then, I noticed arthritis creeping into my shoulder. I hoped it was an injury that could be treated, but two doctors, several x-rays, and one cortisone injection later, it’s just arthritis, that is threatening to become painful again. I am pretty sure I have it in my left pinky as well. I have recurring tendonitis in my wrists--yeah, both of them. When my mid-section started to grow a bit faster (my fingers just had a freudian slip and typed “fatster”), I really had to come to grips with my age.

Is there such a product?

With all of these things pointing towards the fact that I am “not old--just older,” why is it that I am not too old to get a pimple? When do I outgrow those things? It seems only fair that if one is going bald, they shouldn’t have to deal with zits anymore. The other day, I had an itch on my nose, and as I reached up to scratch the underside, It hurt! As luck would have it, brewing beneath the surface of my skin was one of those pimples that starts deep within the skin and hurts for days until it finally comes to the surface. All in all, it’s a very pleasant experience. Yeah, right. Just call me Eeyore.

Most people just put Clearasil on it and move on. However, I have to think about it. Here’s how all of this craziness came together in my mind. As we grow as Christians, things about us will change. Both Peter and Paul said that we can’t stay on spiritual milk for long--we must grow up in the faith and move to solid food. (1 Peter 2:2, 1 Corinthians  3:2) Since we will live forever in eternity,I suppose age really doesn’t matter, so I guess we don’t get old--just older. However, no matter how mature in the faith we get, while we still live in this limited body on earth, we can never escape that blemish that lies beneath the surface. We are all still very prone to sin.

We can do all the exercise we want to maintain our strength and our health for our bodies, and even spiritually as we pray and read God’s Word on a daily basis. However, it only takes one little temptation or unguarded thought to begin the painful process of bringing sin to the surface.  Often times, the Holy Spirit brings conviction long before anyone can see outward manifestation of the sin in our hearts, and I believe it’s safe to say that most conviction of sin is painful. Sometimes others can’t see evidence of the “spiritual zit,” (that phrase is currently being trademarked) but we certainly feel the pain under our skin. Whether we have to swallow our pride and admit short-comings, or agonize over a confession we must make to a loved-one, we feel the sting and the hurt of these blemishes.

I kept looking in the mirror over the last few days, waiting for the inevitable, but the pimple never surfaced. In fact, it seems to have healed up and gone away. If we learn to deal appropriately with our sin at the first pain of the Spirit’s conviction, the grace of God may protect us from the embarrassing, and sometimes explosive (yeah, I went there) public showing of the “spiritual zit.” If that happens, thank God from the bottom of your heart, because it is most certainly NOT what you, or any of us deserve. Then, learn from the experience and do what you can to keep your spirit clean from that point on.

We will spend time and money on products and treatments to keep these blemishes from appearing on our skin, but how many of us really put in the same amount of effort to keep these blemishes from appearing in our spirit? There are no guarantees that face wash will work, but it never hurts to try. Getting into God’s Word daily, and spending time with Him in prayer can only benefit each of us as we grow in our faith. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” If we fill our hearts and minds with the things of God, we have a better chance at defeating the temptations and thoughts that can become full-fledged sin in our lives. Chances are, you’ll scrub your face today. What will you do to clean your spirit?

Lights Out!

As we were leaving church in two cars a couple of weeks ago, my wife called me from her vehicle to let me know that my driver-side headlight was out. I hadn't noticed it, so there's no telling how long it had been out, but sure enough, as I pulled up behind her vehicle at the next red light, I could see in the reflection that only one light was working. I told her I'd look into it.

The next day, I got into the car, and after starting it, got out and walked around to the front to see if it was completely out, partially out, or what. (By the way--I'm not exactly a car expert, so I didn't really know what I needed to see, or why I needed to see it again from the front anyway.) To my surprise, both lights were working. I watched all day, and there didn't seem to be any trouble.

Unfortunately, a few nights later, we noticed that the same light was out again. Maybe it's a loose wire or something, and possibly a blown bulb. I guess we'll have to figure that out. Truth be told, I've never changed a headlight bulb. I've changed a tail light, and my sincere hope is that it is at least relatively close in procedure, as I managed to do that one in under 10 minutes.

With my luck, I'll get the bulb, pop the hood to the car, attempt to make a simple change, and somehow do something that causes the car muffler to fall off the back of the car. It seems a bit dramatic, but that's how these things go for me. Truthfully, I'll do some research and find some pretty good directions before I attempt anything. I'm not like the average dude that is convinced I can fix it the first time without any help. I know my limitations, and figure it's cheaper in the long run to swallow my pride, and just look at the directions, take it slow, and then HOPEFULLY get it right.

Life isn't like those headlights--it doesn't come with an instruction manual to tell us how to do everything. In fact, many times we can feel like we are expected to go it alone without any instructions, and to get it right the first time. As a believer in Christ, I know that's not the case. When I first began my relationship with Him, the Holy Spirit came to live in my heart. Jesus promised He would always be with us, and through the Spirit, He is.

The other thing is that even though day-to-day living has its difficulties and trials, I do have a manual that can help me. God's Word is there to give me encouragement and guidance. Okay, let me pause right here: I am well aware that this has just taken a seemingly very cliche approach to the Bible being the "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth." But stay with me a second, and maybe I can still make a positive application for you.

The truth is, the Bible is the Living Word of God, given for instruction, teaching, and correction. (2 Timothy 3:16) But, as far as specifics go, it won't spell out the answer for how a dad should handle a son's refusal to quit overreacting to the slightest attempt to settle him down. There is no book in the Bible dedicated to helping a husband specifically handle the feelings of inadequacy that comes from not being able to relieve his pregnant wife's back pain. I haven't found the passage of scripture that tells me exactly what time of month is best to pay certain bills so that the paychecks last longer through the month.

BUT, I do know that there are passages that deal with disciplining children and allowing the Spirit to help us maintain patience. I also know that Scripture encourages husbands to love their wives enough to be willing to sacrifice in order to meet their needs. Beyond that, I also know that there are plenty of passages that deal with trusting God to meet our needs and making wise decisions.

So, while there may not be specific answers to some of the issues we face, with the Bible we do have a great resource available that points us in the right direction. At that point, the Holy Spirit within us can step in and guide us to make the best choice based on our current circumstances. There's still some room for human error here, and just because we are led towards a certain path doesn't mean we'll take it. But it's good to know that we aren't left hanging out to dry, just waiting for the next problem to take us further into dispair.

Like my wife, I'm anxious to see if I can fix this headlight problem on my own, or if I'll need to call in someone with more experience to bail me out. But, at least I've got Google--I can find those instructions somewhere, and eventually, and hopefully painlessly, there will be two working headlights once again.