SMALL ACTS OF Grace
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN EVERYDAY, ORDINARY WAYSBy ALICE GRAYW Publishing Group
Copyright © 2007 Alice Gray
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-0-8499-0448-6Contents
A Special Thank-You.........................................xiA Note to My Readers........................................xiiiPrologue Follow His Heart...................................xvChapter 1 Parade of Lights..................................1Chapter 2 When Daisies Dance................................19Chapter 3 Day Brighteners...................................39Chapter 4 Once Upon a Front Porch Swing.....................59Chapter 5 Hearts Entwined...................................77Chapter 6 Heartprints at Home...............................95Chapter 7 The Beauty of Time................................115Chapter 8 Even the Least....................................133Chapter 9 Lost and Found....................................151Epilogue From My Heart to Yours.............................171Notes.......................................................175About the Author............................................181
Chapter One
Parade of Lights * * *
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. From an old spiritual
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While vacationing in Southern California, we spent a day at Disneyland and stayed until the park closed at midnight. One of our favorite attractions was the Electric Light Parade on Main Street. Every day at half-past darkness, the lights along the parade route dimmed, and toe-tapping music blared through strategically placed loudspeakers. The adults stood on tiptoe, daddies lifted young children to their shoulders, and everyone squeezed a little closer to the front row of spectators.
When the first glittering float came into view, the youngest toddlers to the oldest grandparents clapped their hands in sheer delight. For twenty minutes, an array of twirling Disney characters, brass marching bands, and a dozen magical floats draped with thousands of shimmering lights paraded down Main Street.
It was an incredibly happy experience. No wonder they call it the Magic Kingdom!
The following week, I described the parade to one of my Christian friends. "Alice," she said, leaning close to me, "I think God wants us to be like that light parade."
What a profound and wonderful thought-to think that we might bring that kind of joy to the main streets of our towns.
Let It Shine
Right after the Beatitudes, just fourteen verses into what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells His followers-including us-that each of us is the light of the world.
You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
I think it is incredibly awesome to be called the light of the world. And not just because that's a whole lot better than being called the dark of the world-but because light is the very picture Jesus used to describe Himself! Look at this verse from the Gospel of John: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, `I am the light of the world.'"
When I consider that Jesus described us the same way He portrayed Himself-well, that changes everything about everything. I can't even begin to put in words what it means to me. I just know that I feel both honored and unworthy to bear such a name. And I long to bring pleasure to the One who calls me "light."
But what exactly does it mean to be the light of the world? To answer that, I think we need to take a look at what light does. It can be a beacon of safety, a lamp of comfort, a candle of hope. But its primary purpose is dispelling darkness.
One weekend years ago, our family visited the Oregon Caves National Monument, which is famous for its network of marble caverns. A tour guide took a group of about twenty of us deep into these caves-not a good place to visit when you are a bit claustrophobic, as I am.
The guide kept assuring us that there was an exit not too far down the path if any of us felt we needed to leave. Once he started talking about the bats roosting above us, I was counting the steps to that emergency exit. And yes, wimpy as I am, I gratefully took the exit a short while later. But before we got there, we continued deeper and deeper down the path and around so many curves that not one bit of outside light filtered in. There were only small pathway lights. My hands were clammy. Nausea gripped my stomach.
It was at this point that the guide made an unexpected announcement. He was going to turn off the pathway lights for a moment so we could experience total darkness. We were not to worry because he had a powerful flashlight in case something happened and the lights didn't come back on. I fumbled for my husband's hand and found it just as the lights went out.
I'm sure the darkness lasted only seconds, but it felt like forever. And then, just when I thought I couldn't stand it one moment longer, someone else struggling with the darkness struck a match. One single glorious match. Oh, such a relief! Only that one small light-but what a difference it made.
I often think of that moment when I hear the morning news and read the headlines in the paper. The world does seem to be growing darker these days. But my experience in the Oregon Caves reminds me that the darker the place, the brighter my little light can shine.
First Things First
In God's Word, light is associated with joy and blessings. But perhaps more important, light in Scripture often refers to God's presence. "The LORD is my light and my salvation," proclaims Psalm 27:1, while Isaiah adds, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." And Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth that God "shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God."
How essential, therefore, to spend some quiet time with Him each day-talking to Him, listening to His voice, reading His Word, inviting Him to be part of our day, and simply relaxing in the awareness that He is here with us. That's how we learn to shine-by spending time in the light of His presence.
Unfortunately, in our hectic, hurry-up, keep-doing-more world, all this is easier to desire than to do.
An exhausted mother wakes up early, determined to spend time with the Lord before her children get up. Still groggy, she kneels down in front of a living-room chair, rests her forehead on her arms, and unwillingly falls asleep before her first prayer request is finished.
A career woman starts multitasking the second her alarm jars her awake. Listening to voice mail while she dresses, eating on the run, putting on makeup in the car, she hopes to find a quiet time when she gets back home. But by six that evening her energy is spent and her tote bag is bulging with unfinished projects brought home from the office.
The retired woman knows the popular image of lounging in her bathrobe and reading her Bible while sipping her second cup of coffee isn't true for her. Her schedule is somehow busier than ever with family (love those grandchildren!), volunteering at church and in the community, and other activities she always wanted to do but never had time to. And yet she lacks the energy of her younger counterparts. Even now, efforts to carve out a regular quiet time seem to fall by the wayside.
So what's a woman to do? As difficult as it seems, we must somehow find a way to quiet our hearts before the Lord. God's Word tells us this is our first priority: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." And in my own life, I find that the battles of my day are often won or lost depending on whether or not I find some quiet moments to sit at the feet of Jesus.
If you struggle in this area, maybe one of the following suggestions will help:
For the exhausted mom: Try keeping your Bible open on the kitchen counter and choose one or two verses a day to inspire you. Sing them out loud while you pack lunches and do the dishes. Pray for your family as you make beds and fold clothes. Then keep trying to find a few times during the week when you can spend a longer time in God's Word.
For the career woman: Since you are probably good at keeping appointments, try blocking off a daily appointment with the Lord. Find a time early in the day when you have more energy to quiet your heart and hear His voice. When you drive to work, listen to worship music instead of the news. If the neighborhood is safe and the weather pleasant, arrive at work a little early so you can put on headphones and walk for ten or fifteen minutes listening to the Bible on CD.
For the retired woman: As much as you love giving and serving and enjoying new activities, perhaps you must learn to say no sometimes. If you are feeling worn out and can't find time to spend with the Lord, try saying something like, "Thank you so much for asking me. Although I would love to do it in the future, I really must say no this time." If you say it sweetly, I guarantee you'll be asked again! I think we sometimes forget that not only does God want to be an active part of our everyday lives, but He is the reason we can shine at all. I love Psalm 18:28 because it makes the point so clear: "For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; the Lord my God illumines my darkness."
Try reading the verse again, and this time think about your favorite lamp. Picture the lamp when it's off, and then picture how different it is when you turn it on. That's what the Lord does for us. Isn't that a wonderful thought?
One time when I was teaching a women's Bible study, I used two vintage oil lamps to demonstrate how this verse works in our lives. One lamp had only a little oil in the base-too little oil for the wick to reach, so the wick was stiff and dry. The other lamp was nearly full, with the wick totally saturated in the oil. Both lamps were beautiful, with ribbed pedestals, elegant clear glass fonts, and fluted chimneys. But when it came to actually shining, they couldn't have been more different.
It was difficult to light the dry wick, and when it finally did catch, there was no flame, only a bit of glow that lasted for a few minutes at the most. The wick with the oil, on the other hand, caught the flame immediately and continued to burn brightly.
I really don't need to make the application for you. You already get it. Too many missed days without an intimate time with the Lord, and we are like the lamp with the dry wick. We need to be saturated in the oil of His Word and soaked in His love so the Lord can cause our lives to shine.
Graceful Beacons
Because summer is so hot in Arizona, where we live now, my husband, Al, and I like to take our walks just after sunset. We usually carry a flashlight because streetlights weren't planned for our little town. Folks don't want them. They think most streetlights are harsh and rude, and they're more interested in seeing stars sparkling against a midnight sky. But one neighborhood did install gas lamps along their streets. Standing like graceful beacons, they glow gently in the darkness and give off just the right amount of light to make you feel warm and comfortable. It's pleasant to walk in that neighborhood at night.
I'd like it if people thought of me as a graceful beacon, wouldn't you?
I know there are times when I must stand up bravely and speak out for what I believe in. I don't want to hide my light. I want it to burn brightly for all to see. But, at the same time, I don't want to be like a bare bulb just hanging from the ceiling on an ugly cord or a harsh, buzzing streetlight. I pray that my glow will be so warm and attractive that it draws people into the comforting circle of Christ's love. I think that's exactly what Jesus had in mind when He told us to let our good deeds shine so that everyone will praise our heavenly Father.
While writing this book, it has been my desire that every page will encourage women to be a lovely light for the Lord. I think the qualities the apostle Paul described as "the fruit of the Spirit"-love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control-also describe the kind of light God wants us to give forth. Because it is so unselfish, so loving-so Christlike-it can't help but be attractive to most people.
In one of his most popular books, Improving Your Serve, Chuck Swindoll suggests that as we serve others we become like stars to a darkened world. Oh, I love that analogy-and because we don't have streetlights, stars are a big part of my nighttime world. Their sparkling beauty makes it easy to think of them as graceful beacons lighting up the nighttime sky.
It's His Light That Makes The Difference
I've saved the most important part of this chapter until last. Let me begin by telling you what I found last week tucked away with some keepsakes.
Every so often I sort through one of the boxes in the garage. These aren't your ordinary boxes. Some of them have traveled from California to Oregon and now to Arizona. When they were first packed, I wrote "SAVE" in big red letters across the front of each. Right below my handwriting, Al added "sort before next move"-with an exclamation mark.
That was four moves ago.
Last week I peeled the brittle-but-still-holding masking tape off one of the final four boxes. About a third of the way down, nestled in with school reports, birthday cards, and a collection of Hallmark paper dolls, I found the top sheet of an old church bulletin. It was from Village Church in Burbank, California.
I know why I saved it. The picture and the Bible verse represent the difference that took place in my life when I asked Jesus into my heart almost forty years ago.
The verse on the front of the bulletin is Psalm 27:1: "The LORD is my light and my salvation." The words Lord, light, and salvation are in a different color from the rest of the words, and they are about five times bigger. Behind the words is a hill overlooking the ocean. A white lighthouse stands high on the hill, with a single beacon breaking through the darkness.
That's what Jesus did for me. He broke through my darkness. And that's what He does for every person who receives Him as Savior. If we have any light at all, it is because He scatters the darkness of our hearts and allows His beauty to be illumined through us.
In Mirror, Mirror: What Is My Heart Reflecting, my friend Marilyn McAuley drew a lovely picture of how this happens:
When I was a Girl Scout in grade school, the Girl Scout Council of our city staged an annual lantern parade. Every Girl Scout in the city created a lantern that would be judged for originality and beauty.
At sundown, we lit our lanterns and lined up to parade before the townspeople. We walked up one side of the boulevard and down the other in single file so the delicate patterns could best be seen. People lined the street to watch as the lit lanterns displayed the unique artwork of each girl. The lanterns were just so much cardboard, cellophane, and paint until the flashlights were turned on inside. Then the beautiful patterns of each lantern were revealed. No longer did we see the cardboard and paint, only the lovely colors of the cellophaned designs illumined.
And so it is with each of us. We're just like so much cardboard and paint until the One called "The Light of the World" comes in and lights up our lives.
And once He does, we get to be part of His irresistible light parade.
A Cinderella Story
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This chapter started with a Disney light parade and now ends with a Disney princess. But as you will see, the story is so much more than that. In his winning style, preacher and writer Max Lucado needs only a few well-crafted words to present a powerful message.
I received a call from a friend named Kenny. He and his family had just returned from Disney World. "I saw a sight I'll never forget," he said. "I want you to know about it."
He and his family were inside Cinderella's castle. It was packed with kids and parents. Suddenly all the children rushed to one side. Had it been a boat, the castle would have tipped over. Cinderella had entered.
Cinderella. The pristine princess. Kenny said she was perfectly typecast. A gorgeous young girl with each hair in place, flawless skin, and a beaming smile. She stood waist-deep in a garden of kids, each wanting to touch and be touched.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from SMALL ACTS OF Graceby ALICE GRAY Copyright © 2007 by Alice Gray. Excerpted by permission.
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