Potato Pizza and Fireflies

On a warm June afternoon the power went out. I called the electric company to report the outage; then I sat and sweltered and wondered about supper.

What bright spots did we glimpse that day during the power outage, and a subsequent one that night? Two take-out pizzas—one potato, the other sliced sausage. (We thought using the oven would be out of the question until five—the time the electric company supposed the issue would be resolved.) And that second outage? The darkness that night created a contrasting canvas for fireflies.

God has many ways of brightening our dark days.

Snatches of Sunshine

Earlier this month, the weather report told of much rain, but here and there the sun peeked out from the clouds. What a surprise! I delighted in those unexpected outdoor opportunities.
 
God also shares sunshine during our tough times: It’s the dressing-drenched cobb salad for lunch, the shopping stop, the chocolaty treat hidden in the candy jar. God is good and knows how to uplift a sad countenance. He cares; He daily shares sunshine in innumerable ways.
 
Are you searching for sunshine? Instead of a death grip on that umbrella, take the time to don sunglasses—a ray of sunshine may surprise you on a rainy day.

Psalm 23 and Me

When I slid out of bed one morning, I glimpsed something white on the carpet. What was it? A tissue? I reached down and picked up the item that had been peeking at me from between the bed and the wall. What a surprise to discover a magnet displaying Psalm 23!
 
Some might suppose that an angel placed those words there, or that they appeared miraculously just for me. After some thought, though, I recalled that I had recently removed a stack of Scripture magnets from a drawer located not far from the bed. One of them likely slipped onto the floor, and unbeknownst to me, I must have moved it about as I shuffled to and fro in the bedroom, until the item landed in the spot where I saw it.
 
Of course, angels do exist and God can do miracles, but usually what we experience is divine providence. Spying the Psalm 23 magnet that morning encouraged my heart: Why worry when you can trust the Shepherd’s care? And why seek after signs and wonders when providence is already amazing?

Tedious Tasks and Daily Dust

Though I am thankful for a bathroom vanity, I admit that cleaning its countertop is not my favorite job. You must remove the many toiletries or hold them in the air to swipe a wipe underneath. But what would happen if nobody tackled this task? Stagnant water, toothpaste puddles, and soap scum would accumulate, creating quite the sight and smell.

If we refuse to regularly deal with our small faults that we or others notice, sin will spread. Daily dust must be addressed, confessed, and washed away for man’s good and the glory of God.