February 7th Reflection - The Lamp - by Bill Lynch

Matthew 5:13-20
 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Reflection - The Lamp
I worked on that lamp forever! I put it together and took it apart it seems a thousand times. I was never satisfied with this lamp. I was certainly obsessed with making this lamp perfect. This lamp was going to be the perfect gift for the one I love, but I couldn't get this lamp kit put together to suit myself. There was no way that I could give this lamp to the one I love in this condition!

I did the best I could but I guess I will just toss this old lamp kit and give up on it. It will never become what I expect of it. So, that evening, I tossed the lamp kit into the garbage and took the garbage to the crib. Later on in the evening, in the midst of darkness, I could see a faint figure digging through my garbage. This guy came out every garbage night and looked for what could be salvaged. He took that lamp kit that had frustrated me to death the entire weekend. The thought passed through my mind that this guy surely didn't know what a curse he had just pulled from my garbage. More power to him though.

It was into next year in the midst of a cold winter that I stopped by the coffee shop to relax and catch up on some reading by the fireplace. The coffee shop was empty but for a couple of people so I had the fireplace all to myself. I settled into the big chair with my book and a large coffee to relax and keep warm on this cold and dark winter evening. After reading a couple of pages of my book I glanced towards those warming flames of the fireplace and my gaze moved slightly up to the fireplace mantle.

And there it was! There was that lamp that I had pitched in the garbage months earlier. The lamp that frustrated me to no end. The lamp that I had carefully decorated with a special symbol that only my love would recognize. The lamp that was one big POS! It just wouldn't turn out right and wouldn't work for me.

Someone had done something to this lamp. Someone had made this lamp light. I couldn't beg this lamp to light no matter what I did to it, but there it was, all lit up in all it's glory. This useless lamp was now very beautiful to me. But how did they get it to work? What did someone do to get this lamp to light? Now that it was lit, this lamp took on all the beauty that I had imagined as a gift for the one I love. This once useless lamp, destined for the garbage, yes tossed into the garbage; had been rescued, repaired and now lit and the light shown throughout the coffee shop. The gentle flicker of light made this lamp beautiful just as I thought it really was.

Surely the One who rescued this lamp from the garbage heap had saved it. The One who took up this lamp had made it beautiful and gave it a light to shine into all the world. I wonder who this One could be? This One that would dare to take what was tossed out and make it shiny and new and beautiful. The One that would give the time needed to make this lamp work. The One that would graciously give of his life so that a lamp from the garbage might shine a new light. Yes, this One is surely to be praised.

And you know what... suddenly I realized... the lamp was shining brightly the Light that the One had intended for this lamp to shine. A glorious message pointing to it's Savior... to the One!


Prayer
Lord, as you have rescued me... as you have graciously come to me and to your children... may this always be true... Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen