The cow jumped over the WHAT?

Can you imagine what life would be like for us if God didn’t show us His grace and mercy each day?

It’s the earth’s only satellite, orbiting the earth once every 24 hours. It’s gravitational pull causes changes in the ocean’s tides. We’ve written songs about it, Written poetry about it. Photographed it. Gawked at it. And in July, 1968 Neal Armstrong set foot on it. Then he uttered what are now immortal words, “One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.”

What we’re able to see in the sky, however, wouldn’t be possible without the Sun.

Think for a minute about all the images the moon conjures during it’s orbit. We’ve watched all the phases of the moon, from a sliver in the sky to the dazzling spectacle of the full moon.

We’ve “oohed” and “aahed” at the rare solar eclipse when the moon passes between the sun and earth and, for a brief moment, makes the sun seem to disappear. The solar eclipse used to terrify earthlings before scientists explained what caused it.

A lunar eclipse caused panic as well. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth and the earth blocks the sun’s light from reflecting off the moon. So the white orb we’ve romanticized for thousands of years would be black as the sky around it, invisible, if it didn’t reflect light from the sun.

We’re just like the moon. We are what we reflect.  We either reflect darkness or we reflect light. The light we reflect, if we are born-from-above believers is the light of Christ. The light of Christ is called Grace.

My dad reflected light and showed me grace when I was only three. Every Spring and Fall dad had to replace windows in our house to match the season. In Fall dad had to replace screens with storm windows. I was helping him out. One of the big storm windows was leaning against the porch. I threw a hammer through it. Dad asked me why I did that. He said I told him, “It was dirty.”

Dad could have walloped me. Instead, he said he just huffed and giggled. Then he sent me inside so I could help my mom.

God shows us His grace every day.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-9.

Can you imagine what life would be like if God didn’t show us His grace and mercy each day?

If you were the moon, and folks saw you by the light you reflected would they see this…

Or would they see this. . .

Here’s what God’s word says about reflecting the Light of Christ:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:2-11).

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:20-21

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5

For some folks we encounter we’ll be the only Light of Christ they’ll ever see. What will they see? Will they see Christ and His Light reflected in you? Or will you reflect your flesh and darkness?

We make that choice every day with everyone we meet.

Thank you so much for dropping by.  Your visit means more to me than you’ll ever know. Did you enjoy reading this blog post?

May God richly bless you today as He shows you His grace, mercy and truth.