Again?

Toothpaste in the eye. You might not understand where I'm coming from on this. You would have to be as blind as a bat...which I hear is not as blind as we have been lead to believe...but it is the only idiom I have on hand, at the moment. I am verrrrrrrrry near-sighted. Hold your arm out in front of your face, as far as you can...yeah, that's blurry to me. Bring it closer... closer... ok, about 6 inches from your face. That is where things come into focus when I am not wearing my glasses or contacts.

I brush my teeth every morning, usually right after my shower, which means the bathroom is filled with lovely steam...which means that if I put my glasses on, they will just steam up and leave me with not even a foggy idea of where I am. So, I do it blind. But remember, I really can't see clearly at arm's length. I have to bring it in closer to my face...and that's when it gets me. I invariably drag the end of the tube just over the bristles and, somehow--and here is real talent--flick a speck of toothpaste right into my eyeball. And I use baking soda, minty, tartar-fighting, all-day-fresh-breath gel! Oh, the humanity!

This sorry situation has presented various analogies to me since, sadly, it happens somewhat frequently. There is the "When Will I Ever Learn?" analogy...How many times do we have to be in the same situation before we realize that we have put our own selves there all on our own? I have often found myself bemoaning some turn of events and, only too easily, be able to trace it back to my own actions (or lack of action), or obstinacy, or unwillingness to learn. ugh.

There is, of course, the "Speck/Beam" analogy. This one is just because it's just a tiny amount of toothpaste, so I think "speck." It doesn't mean I think I have a speck and you have a beam. It just reminds me that there are times I point out (or think about) someone else's shortcomings while giving a pass to my own quite lengthy list. Or worse, in pointing out (or thinking about) someone else's annoying or wrongful actions, I realize that I have done the exact same thing. double ugh.

Then, there is the "Big Picture" analogy. When we are following the path where God has directed us, we don't often see the end or the whole picture. I want to know how things will be and what will happen, but I also want to be satisfied with picking up my cross and walking through each day. It's so hard for us nosy little humans; we like to have a full story. But that is not guaranteed. Each day is a gift. I don't need to know it all to know what is right to do and then do it.

Finally--at least so far--there is the "Too Close to It" analogy. Sometimes, I am so close to my own viewpoint that I can't see it from anyone else's and end up needing a little heart correction. Or I just end up being so close to a situation that I get hurt by something that happens. You know...fallout. We've all been there. Didn't see that coming and...ouch!

In conclusion, I can't believe how many lessons God has given me through the simple tool of personal dental hygiene. Oh, Lord, I hope that some have sunk in! Well, there's another one--just because the truth hurts sometimes, we can't stop trying to be clean. There isn't a better way. I'm so grateful for the communication and communion we have with God. I'm also hoping that one of these days I'll manage just to brush my teeth.

Simply Profound Thought for the Day

You can't turn on the dark.

I think I heard a comedian say it, but it made me start to think about that. It's true--think of any situation where you have light and dark. I came up with a few examples, but I know there are so many more.

Genesis 1:3-5Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
When you flip a switch "on," the light speeds and spreads outward; it only stops when you put the switch in the "off" position (until the bulb blows, of course, for the cynical ones out there).

Darkness is the absence of light. Day is not overtaken by night; we have night because the earth has turned away from the sun. That's true of hearts, too.

The best that darkness can do against the light is to make a shadow--which is really just caused by things that grow or are built up and block the light from reaching everywhere. Yep, we can create shadows in our hearts, too.

I want the doors of my heart to be open, always, to THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD--not even to have any shadows from things that stop the light from reaching every corner.

"For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6
But more than this, I need to be a light shining and spreading in the darkness.

Jesus said, in Matthew 5: ¹⁴“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.¹⁵No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.¹⁶In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

It feels like darkness is spreading across this nation, but it is an absence of Light. Christians need to shine brighter and spread the Good News to light up farther and farther--to every corner of the world.