Have you ever been away from the city at night time? Have you noticed how clear the sky is compared to that in urban areas?
Last year the Mr. and I went out to dinner in Ann Arbor and then headed further west to spend the night away. Driving down that quiet highway at 9:30 at night, the autumn sky was clear and sparkling. What was amazing to me was that at home, where pollution hangs a veil between me and the universe; I don’t realize that what I’m looking at is smog, not starlight.
I needed to be reminded of what the sky really looks like to remember that I live under a clouded sky, even when I can’t see the clouds.
My own heart can be like that. Pollution wraps itself around my life from internal and external sources.
When I stop trying to break bad habits, give up on improving my short-comings or start tolerating my flaws; I sometimes forget they are there. I stop thinking about the bright and sparkling reality that might be hiding behind the pollution.
And then there is the stuff of life that settles into my mind and spirit, adding another layer of grime. Worries about the world. Unpleasant people. Job stress (a new one for me). Too much to do, too little time, not enough energy.
You can fill in the blanks on what pollutes the you that sparkles just behind the smog.
I don’t think there is any way to stop the pollution. I think it’s the reality of this side of heaven. The existence of it doesn’t worry me.
What worries me is when I get so accustomed to being polluted that I don’t think about it anymore.
It’s like taking down the pictures in my living room to paint and realizing, “Hey! That’s what color the walls are supposed to be!”
It’s like cleaning your jewelry and being pleasantly surprised at how sparkly it is after you’ve removed the hair spray and hand lotion that dulled it’s shine.
It’s like renewal of the heart and mind that only Christ can give us. And it needs to be daily, hourly, moment by moment.
Because the dirt and grime and hair spray sure do build up fast. And I am too quickly accustomed to looking at life through smudged window panes.
I want to see the clear sparkling creation I was made for.
I want to be that creation.
2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
5 comments:
What a wonderful way to tie the polution into our lives. That makes perfect sence.. Thanks for thought provoking post.
Great post. You know what I think you need to do? There is this Christian Women's blog that I think would greatly be enhanced by someone who can communicate they way you do. You should check it out! ;-)
There is nothing worse than getting smogged down!
It's like when you wear glasses and don't clean them often. You get used to looking through dirty lenses. It's the getting "used to" that's the problem, not the smudges themseves. Good reminder not to let your self become accustomed to the smudges within.
ouch. I need to detoxify my heart. ...been dealing with a LOT of stuff lately...not fun...and I haven't been putting the Lord first in some of the situations...
things have got to change.
thanks for the post...
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