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As I gazed up at this glass marvel, catching the light, I saw it as a simple picture of the Christian life. We are designed to reflect the light -- this is our God-given purpose. Sometimes it feels like we have made this impossible. Our glass is dirty, and broken, and etched by hundreds of mistakes and bad decisions. But God redeems. Stained glass is gorgeous because of the way the Master joins the pieces to reflect the light. And yet, often we are angry or bitter when God begins to cut or break our lives into pieces that can be used. But God keeps working. Through those very pieces we fought Him tooth-and-nail on, God creates what we said we wanted all along: To glorify Him and reflect His light to a lost and dying world. Through our success and our failures may others see Christ in us. Amen.  If you have ever watched a stained glass artist at work, you know. Often, getting those pieces of stained glass is painstaking...because sometimes the pieces must be cut to size. This can mean slicing into a whole sheet of glass -- one that many would argue is already "perfect". Or it can mean trimming down a broken piece into the shape it needs to be. Both of these occur in life. Sometimes we are the full sheet -- thinking our lives are whole and at peace -- and this shalom is broken into by suffering, as God works in our lives through pain. Other times, we are the already grieving, broken pieces when our Creator reaches down to shave off, or even crack in half what remains. Regardless, only after this hard work is done are we ready to be used in His masterpiece. And in the breaking we can find meaning and even joy because we know that He is preparing us to better display His light to the world.   Stained glass looks the same as regular glass in the dark, and we are captivated by the beauty of such art only as it reflects the light. Especially in the warmth of the sun, the stained glass develops rich colors that are lacking even in normal light. And as I looked at how the light cast a stunning quilt on the space behind it, I was reminded that light was shining through shattered pieces.
Those once-shattered pieces had been masterfully put back together -- to do exactly what it was doing now. If they had been in whole sheets the way they had been originally produced, they couldn't come close to having the beauty they were now displaying. This is how God works with our broken pieces -- He doesn't merely restore. A repaired pane of glass is not the goal. That would merely be a poor copy of what once was. God redeems. He takes what is broken and recreates something more precious to reflect His goodness. That is what the Master does in our lives. Once in a while, a movie quote hits you in a way that has nothing to do with the movie. I unapologetically love sports movies. And I was watching Miracle, the story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team. The head coach knew his team may not win. But, Herb Brooks told his wife, what is most important is that they are able to look back on this game and know they left it all on the ice. And I heard that and stopped thinking about hockey because I want to leave it all on the ice for Christ. One of these days, our lives will come to a close. And we will all look back on our lives, and the important thing is that we have left it all on the ice. Our best efforts, laid at Jesus' feet. Our treasure, found in Him. Our loyalty, clinging to Him. All of us, given wholly over to Christ. That is what is most important.  |
The AuthorCome with me as we grow in fellowship with each other and our Savior to whom belongs the Amazing Escape from sin and death and the Amazing Journey into glorious life. Archives
August 2026
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