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| Photo by Kay Hartman |
The topic of "warmth" was chosen for January's WoW Connect! long before I had even heard Miss Jerlecki's name, but when the time came to start thinking about writing a devotional about warmth, she immediately came to mind. She had a wonderful and inspiring message that chilly December morning, about letting our light shine instead of putting it under a bowl.
No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see its light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you. Luke 11:33-36
I don't remember now Jackie's exact words, but I still feel the general inspiration to look around me during times that are easy to be absorbed in my own thoughts. I've always tried to act kindly toward people, but that day, after the breakfast, my mom and I went Christmas shopping, and I found myself trying to pay more attention to the people around me, making eye contact with strangers more often and offering a smile, instead of pouring over my list of Christmas gifts and scouring the store shelves so intently. I mean, we all have things to accomplish while we're out and about, but why not lift up our eyes more often to meet those of others who might need a connection of kindness, even if for just a second? In the verses above, the word "healthy" is referring to generosity, and the word "unhealthy" points to stinginess. Does the word "stingy" paint a picture of warmth? Absolutely not! Generosity, though, is a warm word. With what can we be generous? There are the obvious things, like money and material objects. That kind of generosity definitely meets needs, but what about those less tangible things, like our time, our encouragement, our smiles, our conversation . . . our eyes off ourselves? Our warmth? Sometimes these can be more difficult to offer than money or material possessions.
And what about the people we are closest to? It can be easy to take them for granted and maybe forget the warmth we might show to someone else. Those we see every day (like our families, for instance) ought to be greeted and treated warmly always.
True warmth shines from the light of the Spirit of God living within and is not hidden under the "bowl" of our irritation, grumpiness, sadness, self-centeredness, or any other emotion. True warmth does not ask anything of the one being warmed, nor attach itself to conditions that the "warmee" must meet.
Look up, loved one! Smile! Even if we are in the middle of a period of sadness in our lives, if we truly want to be pleasant anyway, God will help us to be pleasant if we ask Him! It's what He wants of us--to shine His light. You never know what that kindness toward a cashier on an ordinary shopping trip might lead to. Our own children will be more likely to take us seriously if we make the effort to show them what a blessing we think they are, in simple ways like cheerfully wishing them a good morning when they awake every morning and giving them smiles and encouraging words throughout the day. Our husbands will find home to be a haven if they are treated with warmth there. Our friends and acquaintances will be warmed by our light if we allow it to shine.
And the message of Jesus will be communicated most effectively to everyone around us when it is preceded and accompanied by His warmth exuding from us!
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