Polish

My son, Tom sent me a beautiful boxed bouquet of spring colored orchids for Mother's Day, Mel brought me gorgeous coral and white roses. I prefer arranging flowers myself and I love it that my guys choose to let me have that pleasure. I cut the roses kind of short, put them in one of my favorite rectangular glass vases,  kept the orchids long, and put them in a tall etched vase. But then after passing by them a coupe of times throughout the day, I decided that if I combined them together they would really make a beautiful arrangement. And they did. There was a variety of color, shape, length and texture, and the blending seemed to give each flower even greater significance, because each was backed up and supported by an array of other colors. Isn't that the way that we are;  when we are backed up and supported by a host of caring friends and family aren't we better able to have the confidence to shine?

Four of us get together four times a year to celebrate our birthdays, and yesterday when I was thinking about how to sign my sweet friend's card, I asked that God give her his power, reveal to her his presence, and waited for that last thought to come through and it was that she would always be polished.  Polished, I thought? But I wrote it anyway.  And the more I thought about it the more I adored that request. For she is polished.  For it is not polished as we know it in polishing silver, or polishing nails and toes, rather it is polish as a shine... for there to be an outside reflection of the Christ that lives within her. I want to be polished. I want to have that shine on the outside that reflects Christ who lives on the inside.

Philippians 2:15

so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

But too many times I lose the shine because my focus is shifted from where God's light shines and polishes my thoughts to where I have allowed my thoughts to be covered by selfish debris. The only way to maintain the shine is to be picked up out of the weeds, trimmed of selfish ambition or motive and placed lovingly in the vase of God's power and presence, and grace.   For there I am surrounded by the gifts of His word, His Spirit and the support group that he has gathered around me to help me stay grounded in my service for Him and through Him.  

The radiance of the shine comes from God, for he is the one who polishes our spirit through the fruits that we exhibit by following in his example, and adhering to his ways. We are but one flower in the bouquet of God's arrangement. And it is when we work together, and support each other in the love that we have been first been given to us by God himself, it is then that we will be a shining sight for the world to see and a polished product that God has/is/will use for his glory.  

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Dear Lord, Thank you that we all have something to offer to your bouquet. For you have created us to be a part of your arrangement and it is when we work together in unity that we are able to glorify your name.  Amen 

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!