Sunday morning and light streamed in from the tall curtained windows reflecting along the old wood floor beneath my feet. Reflection, what a beautiful and complex word that now resonated in my mind. In this case, of the glorious sun and the old and weathered floor, reflection means the phenomenon in which a wave of transmitted light is softly bounced back from the surface that it touches. Light literally shines down from above and whatever that light so graciously touches it is either absorbed to never be seen again or it is reflected to shine as if it had produced that glorious light from its very own being. What an amazing and interesting concept. How amazing that one can shine marly by being shined on. What a wonderful concept that now trickled through my mind this beautiful Sunday morning.
The music ceased and an introduction was made, as the man who was introduced glided softly along the weathered floor. Before he even spoke there was a glow. There was a new glow, not from the floor now beneath him, but a glow that reflected directly from him, streaming like the soft glow you see from the sun just as its last bit of light sinks into the horizon at sunset. A glow that can only come from a source, but where? Was it the sun sprinkling him with the same light that the floor beneath so graciously received, or something else? He began to speak, and his eyes had a passion that could not only be seen but felt as a rush went down my spine causing goose bumps on my arm. He was lit up, his words were sparkling, and he was reflecting from a source much brighter than him. His joy was contagious, and his light began to shine on the ten rows of seats that stretched now before him. Laughter broke from the bodies casually filling the seats, and a pure joy was felt amongst the room as if it streamed directly in and out of each person absorbing the words that this man so naturally spoke.
If one were to walk in unknowing to this makeshift bar turned church, they may have thought unassumingly this must be a show. This must be a skit designed to make people laugh, a bystander may have thought, but these ten rows of people so intent on his words, knew it was something else. His words were not jokes designed to make us laugh, but words of truth, and as he spoke we began to realize the light that this man was so lovingly reflecting upon us was not the sun at all but the Joy of Jesus. God was his light source, he was the weathered floor and we were receiving the glorious reflected light of our Father in Heaven.
As he spoke of his love for God and the love God had for his family, there were tears that welled to the surface of his soft gentle eyes. There was an out pouring of emotion as Jesus filled him with so much light He couldn't keep it all contained. Light was streaming from his eyes and hands and mouth as he spoke touching the ones that sat now so intent on his voice. What a wonderful man, I thought as he spoke of his lovely wife, adoring children and his life dedicated to following Jesus Christ. How amazing, I thought, that God has shined so graciously on this mans life that he would be able to not only absorb that light but reflect it on others for the purpose of spreading Gods Joy and Love.
His speech culminated, and it seemed as if he could have continue forever and no one would have minded. For me, as I meditated on his illuminating words, all I could think was what a beautiful example of an intimate relationship with God. How amazing and deep it was, to know God so well that there is no doubt in his mind of what would make God joyful. There is no doubt in his mind of what God wants for his life and no doubt in his mind of how much he is loved. Isn't that what true relationship is though? We marry, and we want nothing more than to love this person and be loved back. We want that person to know us so well that they know exactly how to love us, and we want to know them so well that we know exactly how to love them.
Its amazing that God wants this very thing for our relationship with him. He wants us to be vulnerable and open and willing to allow him into our space. He wants to move into our life just as we do when we allow our husband or wife to move into our home. He wants to know how we want to be loved so he can love us that way and he wants to shower us with gifts that go beyond material things. He wants to be in relationship with us. He is not a God who is distant but God who so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (I John 3:1) He is not a God who withholds but the Father of lights that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from.( James 1:17) He is our greatest comforter (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) and He gave up everything He loved so that He might gain our affection. ( Romans 8:32)
Our God wants a true and honorable relationship with us. He wants us to choose him, to say yes to him and to live a life with him learning about each other. He wants a relationship with us that fills our hearts so much that our Joy has no where else for it to go but reflect on to the ones that come in contact with our lives. He is already in love with you, you just have to say yes.
My God, how wonderful He is, and how amazing his sweet love is for my heart and soul. Never again will I look at the suns reflection and marly see a phenomenon of light waves bouncing off a surface, but I will see God and his shining sign of love for me pouring out amongst the world.
God Bless,
Lauren Vopatek
