Part of Something Bigger

My family and I were out this past weekend looking for some Christmas light displays to enjoy and we ended up at the Boise Botanical Gardens where they have a great display of lights. I did find it somewhat disheartening that this beautiful display was attached to one of the darkest places in Idaho’s history…the Old Penitentiary; but that is a whole different story.

What I noticed with the lights is that as we were driving up to the display, from a distance they looked absolutely beautiful but as we got out and into the middle of the lights it was still exciting but I could see the lights for what they were…a bunch of wires, light sockets and the bulbs themselves. The large designs of flowers, trees, and shapes that were obvious from a distance were just a bunch of light bulbs.

We spent quite a bit of time fighting the cold and dampness as a family because the joy of having this time together far outweighed the elements.  I have to admit I was a little disappointed in the light display. From a distance I was excited to go jump into the middle of it, but once there it seemed almost like a let down.  I couldn’t help but begin to think about those lights on my drive home that night.

As I drove deep in thought I began to think about those lights in comparison to the church. From a distance the church often looks perfect and beautiful but once you go a little deeper you realize that the church is made up of people. People are not perfect. Sometimes their wires and sockets are showing, but the important part is; in the midst of their imperfections are they doing their job in the Body of Christ? When the people who make up the Body of Christ come together to serve a common purpose their light will shine and make a beautiful display for the world to see. The imperfections they may carry are hidden by the light of Christ they emit.

This Christmas season may your light shine bright for all the world to see.

A New Phone

Ten years ago who would have thought that cell phones would be as powerful as they are today. I remember in 2001 buying a laptop computer that I thought was amazingly fast…my new phone has a faster processor than that laptop. After a few days of playing with this thing (and making a few phone calls…I have to admit the first time someone called me I didn’t know how to answer it) I am more than pleased with my decision. I know there are many people out there that like (and swear by) the iphone, but I cannot imagine that it could be any better. In fact I think I would put a droid x up against one any day.

Now if I want to attempt to make this spiritual, I wonder which one Jesus would pick if he were roaming the earth in 2010? The answer is simply…who KNOWS!

The Tiki Room

When the Belles clan loads up and heads off to Disneyland one of Abby’s favorite attractions is the Tiki Room. It is a great attraction if you’ve never had the pleasure of being in it. There are robotic birds, flowers and plants that sing some fun songs along with some water fountains etc. As a family it is one of our favorite things to do on each of our trips to the House of the Mouse.

Tonight in youth group we’re having our 5th Annual Luau. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here that long! But as I was thinking about a devotional to do tonight I got to thinking about Tiki’s. Are they an idol or just some statue? Maybe it is just a matter of perspective? At any rate it made me think of a story found in 1 Samuel.

The Philistines just beat up the Israelites again and captured the Arc of the Covenant.  They decide to put it in a noble place for them…Dagon’s Temple, and placed it right near their statue of their god Dagon. The next morning they found Dagon face down, bowing to the Arc of the Covenant. They put him back up only to find him the next day, face down and broken to pieces. His torso bowing to the Arc and his arms and legs on the threshold of the temple. I guess we often underestimate the power and diety of the one and only God.

I guess the next time I go to D-Land I won’t be able to go into the Tiki Room and look at it the same way again. At least I will get a nice smile on my face as I think about the awesome power of almighty God!