Advent 2022 - Ponder REFLECTION

Reflection: 1) An image seen in a mirror or shiny surface.  2) Serious thought or consideration. 3) The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.

Sitting down to write a devotional thought while in a hotel room presents challenges. I am not surrounded by my everyday things.  I didn't bring my huge dictionary, I didn't tote along various books and references that I usually use. I do, however, have coffee!

I'm away for a short few days to celebrate at a Christmas festival with my sister. This trip had been planned for two years ago and was postponed when she contracted Covid. We finally made it!  

I've been pondering many things since we arrived. This tiny town in Louisiana simply explodes with people on the weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The river that runs through the town is lined with spectacular light displays. The town's main street is brick paved and oh-so quaint.  I actually feel like I'm in a Hallmark movie.

We walked along the river last night, enjoying the numerous light displays. Tonight and tomorrow, the entire area will be packed with people, so strolling last night was perfect, no crowds to fight. It was a cool, clear night with no breeze. As I took in the many sights, I noticed the reflections on the water. The shimmering was beautiful, but the images were distorted. My eyes would jump from the lights to the water. As I looked over my pictures, I thought about those reflections. Though they were beautiful, they needed to give a clearer picture of the lights they were reflecting. If I hadn't read the words in the sign, I never would know what they said by looking at the reflection.

Look back at the third definition of reflection. "throwing back, without absorbing." I started questioning, "Do I throw off a reflection of Jesus? Do I just put off a distorted view without absorbing it?" The lights in the sign on the river had a clear message - God so loved the world. In the river reflection, it was just squiggly lines of light.

Everything we do can be a reflection of who we are. How we speak, act, and look. I make judgments all of the time about people by how they look. I'm sure people do the same for me. Seeing those lights reflected in the water the message was lost.  So does my message of God get lost in distortion?

Ponder this: reflect vs. shine.  Reflect means to bend back from a surface. Shine means to emit light. Another meaning of shine is  to emit brightness from a source of light. I want to shine with Jesus' light! I don't want to just reflect it and possibly have his image distorted. If the only image people see is a distorted reflection, why would they be attracted to it?

Challenge: Ponder today whether you are reflecting (deflecting lights and throwing them off in a distorted manner) or are you shining with light from Jesus? No matter our circumstances, we can shine. I will be around thousands of people this weekend, all here to celebrate the Christmas season. I will ponder how to shine through words, actions, and thoughts. It will do no good to wear a "Jesus is the reason for the season" button on my lapel if I'm not also shining with his love.

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. John 12:46 NLT

Prayer: Lord, help me shine today with Your light that is within me. I want to reflect your light in a more balanced manner. Help me be a true vision of who You are so that others may be drawn to the light, not confused by a mere reflection. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen.