Misc. From Thursday Afternoon
My new glasses arrived today. While that doesn’t necessarily get everyone else excited, it sure made my day. Last Friday, I found out I’m legally blind without corrective lenses. That means these glasses and my contacts are now officially part of my life forever. But, considering I’ve worn glasses or contacts since the third grade, I’m sure I can handle it. Back to my glasses…
New glasses are always a challenge. You always get excited because you will finally be able to see without the fuzz of the outdated prescription. Then you get your glasses. You put them on. The nice lady adjusts them to make sure they fit properly. Then you stand up to leave, turn for the door, and realize you are walking through a fun house. At least the was the feeling that hit me today. As long as I was stationary and looking straight ahead, I could see perfectly. But once I started walking or looking to the side, everything was distorted like in those fun house mirrors where tall people look short and a three-inch-wide pole looks 5 feet in diameter. It was trippy. But as the day has worn on, I’ve become used to this new prescription. I can see EVERYTHING clearly. It is kind of amazing.
I was thinking about the Love Dare WHCC is doing over the next forty days. We are being challenged each day with a biblical idea from Jesus’ teachings. We are being asked to integrate these things into our daily lives. But not just do one thing one day and another different thing the next. These are supposed to all build upon each other.
As we approached the idea of starting the Love Dare, I thought about the way I view daily life. Then I thought about the goals of the Love Dare. We often approach our daily lives in a bit of a haze. Things can be distorted by opinions, desires, situations, and a host of other distractions. If no one takes steps to make their vision better, it will continue to deteriorate. That’s where God’s call for our lives comes in. if we make a conscious effort to live the way He intends for us to live, our vision will improve. As I read through the Love Dares each day and think about how each Dare builds upon the previous ones, I think about how my life will begin to clear up. My anger and prejudice and selfishness all become challenged by what God has asked me to do. Instead of gossiping about someone, I am called to say encouraging words. Instead of ignoring people who are struggling, I am called to reach out and help them. The best part about these Love Dares is that they all come from Scripture. Every Dare is something God has already asked us to incorporate into our daily lives.
As the church continues this Love Dare, I encourage all of us to participate. If you take it seriously and truly make the effort to build each days Dare into your life, I bet you see how life in Christ begins to become more and more clear. If you don’t go to West Houston or have not heard about the Love Dare and would like to hear more and/or participate, let me know. I’d be happy to get you the information and set you up to receive our daily Love Dare emails. In the four days so far, I have been blessed. I look forward to seeing the results of this experiment in living the way Christ has called us to live.
