The Reflected Light and His Blessings...

When I am getting things ready for bed each night I always try to remember to close the blinds facing up so that minimal light will be emitted in the morning and thereby allow  the morning rays of sunlight to have less effect on my wife’s sleep.  Well, it looked like I forgot last night and when I came into the room to help Piper up for the day her face was splashed with a glow of reflected sunlight.  I have to admit that I kind of enjoyed what I saw!  Her little nose was scrunched up against the pillow and she had the slightest trace of a smile on her lips.  She just looked so peaceful and content.

As I knelt down to wake her up and begin confessing our list of healing scriptures over and into her, I noticed that her left arm was stretched outside the sheets and her hand was vividly displaying her wedding ring.  What really caught my eye though was the shimmer and multi-spectrum of colors that was reflecting through the various facets of the central diamond in her setting.  It was like a little light show presenting the light, the life and the love of Papa God just for me!

That ring reminded me of the scriptures I had been studying before I had come into the room that ended with the writer’s description of the leaders in the synagogue as they closely observed Stephen’s face to see how he would react to their accusations and blatant lies.  Acts 6:15 tells us that “Everyone who sat in the council starred at him and saw that his face looked like an angel’s face.” (God’s Word ©)  John Gill explains that “There was such a calmness and serenity in it, which showed his innocence and unconsciousness of guilt; and such a beauty and glory upon it, that he looked as lovely and amiable as the angels of God.”

The Geneva translation notes declare that “God beautified his countenance.”  And “A Popular Commentary on the New Testament” records “Yes, how clearly was he the angel’s friend who, while in the very midst of the wolves, still seemed like an angel; for so transfigured was he by the rays of the Sun of Righteousness, that even to his enemies he seemed a being not of this world.”

That kaleidoscope of colors that shown brightly through Piper’s ring could not but reassure me of the Father’s hand in the midst of the attack of the enemy upon our life’s mission together.  It also reminded me that the brutal attack on the life of Stephen also turned into a rally cry for the early church and acted as the catalyst that forced the disciples that were all living in Jerusalem out and into all the outermost regions of the world.  God turned that terrible event into the beginning of the greatest outreach known to the world up to that point in time.  That one attack would literally change the course of history!

With all that in mind… I can’t wait to see what Papa God has in store for Piper and I in the years to come.  I also think that this is the attitude that every Christian should have when they come upon painful times.  Papa God is in the middle of the situations of life that trouble us and wants to turn it around for our betterment and His future glory as He causes an eventual victory in the world that you live in each and every day!

And another quick thought or two!  With the passing of my Mom a few years ago and the changes going on in my wife, Mother’s Day has not been very high on my radar.  In fact it really hadn’t registered with me until our older daughter invited Piper and I over to their house on Sunday. 

Last night as I was preparing our dinner I began to think about how much my Mom had reached out to Piper after our return from Oklahoma in reaction to the obvious changes going on in her daughter-in-law.  She took her under her care as if she were her natural daughter.  Up until the time she and my Dad moved into an Assisted Care facility, she called every day to ask about Piper and to express their desire to help us in any way they could.  And even though she was dealing with an irregular heart beat and tired very easily, she still had us over for dinner on occasion to help lessen my load and bring cheer to that lovely, spunky, freckled little high school gal that I brought home to meet them about 45 years ago. 

Piper and my Mom seemed to hit it off from the very get-go.  They both enjoyed vibrant, outgoing personalities, a constant smile, a good joke and the ability to make anyone feel at home in their presence.  The only thing that confused my Mom (and most of my family for that matter) for a while was Piper’s openness to the joys of her salvation.  But you know, when we returned from Oklahoma it was my Mom’s constant and uplifting faith that carried us through some of our toughest times!

So, as we celebrate Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, I am reminded of all the good times I experienced with a Mom that made everyone laugh and leave my folks home with a big smile on their faces.  I am eternally moved by her touch and concern for Piper throughout the years of our marriage, but especially when times got tough for us.  She was one of the few in both our families that put aside her own needs and concerns and dove head first into our upended lives in our time of bitter need with open arms, a loving heart and an unshakable faith in the goodness of God for Piper.

And I am sure the she is currently sitting in one of the banquet rooms of heaven feasting on a 100% traditional homemade Italian dinner with a table overflowing with bowls filled to the brim with various pasta’s and sauces, delicious meats, green salads, garlic bread and red wine, all surrounded by those in our family who have gone on before as well as those who moved there after her passing from this earth.  I would bet that the volume of voices and laughter emanating from that room are far surpassing any other gathering in their heavenly neighborhood.  Ah… I can hardly wait to join the feast!

Happy Mother’s Day Mom and happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s that read this blog post across the globe today!  Have a great weekend.  Stay in tune and on fire to God’s Word and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting to Dive In and Bless today?”