On February 23 I was still trying to keep my head up and my eyes open while on this journey to wellness. On that extraordinarily beautiful, sunny day I was sitting on my deck soaking up some vitamin D and allowing the sun to infiltrate and penetrate my feverish skin when I realized something. It's just an analogy, but it makes sense to me. I found it hard to turn my face fully into the sun even though it felt so great. The sun hurt my eyes because they were so sensitive at that time from the fever. I wonder though, in our Christian walk, if we aren't like that as well sometimes. Maybe it's sin that keeps us from being able to look the Son full into his face and open our eyes. Maybe its feelings of no self-worth or shame or guilt. Maybe it's a lack of faith or trust. Maybe!
When life is blaring down on us, blinding us with its powerful rays, we start to squint and squirm, lower our heads to avoid the pain and close our eyes so as to not see the truth. We will even run for the shade when it feels to hot, afraid of sweating or maybe afraid of exhaustion.
Have you ever noticed though that when we look up into the sun we do one of three things, put on shades and then look up or even away, we cover our eyes with our hands and turn away or on a good day we close our eyes and look up gradually as our eyes adjust until our heads our flung back while we bask in the light! Right?! When we put our shades on it blocks some of those rays of glory. We are hesitant to fully trust, but we want it to seem as though we have our eyes fully on the sun/Son because after all, we do look the part with our cool shades on. Truth is we are blocking the full blessings of facing the Son! Why do we do that? Maybe it would mean that we would actually have to give up something we like or maybe it's too much pride-after all we do look rather stylish and the other guys/gals dig it! Not to mention the fact that our bare faces might scare someone! Geez, we for sure cannot let them see the real us! I know when I don't want to be seen or want to cover up my "ugly" as I call it or my greasy hair because I'm to lazy to wash it, I just put on a hat or bandana or something for goodness sake! I mean what if people saw the real me? No make up and greasy hair! Yikes! What if I lifted my veil and left my shades in the car? I mean what if I let folks see the REAL me and let the Son/sun shine completely in my face? What if we allowed our bare faces, and greasy heads to lift a step at a time towards the Son? Just let the ugly, greasy, pimply parts hang out! Would the Son disappear or cover his eyes in disgust? Would the sun refuse to shine and cause a black out? NO! NO! NO! The sun/Son will shine forever, even on a cloudy day! You just may not be able to see it/Him, but they're there! They have to be! Without them there is no day nor night! No light just darkness!
If we were to lift our faces always up to the Son, what would we see? What would others see? We would first of all see a love that is indescribable and uncontainable! We would see acceptance, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, grace and hope! We would see a face that smiles at our beauty, eyes that brighten with adoration and a mouth that sings over you! Others would see the Son in you and the sun on you! Others would notice the changes-your sun-kissed skin and your highlighted hair, but they would bask in your Son-ny glow and experience your acceptance, your love, your kindness! Everything you see in the Son will be seen in you!
Won't you go with me to the Son and let's take off our shades, lift our veils and raise our eyes until we are relaxing fully into the face of the Son/sun!
Let the Son of God be your sun today! Go unveiled!
2 Corinthians 3:7-18 My paraphrase: Since we have this hope, let us be bold, nothing holding us back. We have nothing to hide! Don't be like Moses who wore a veil over his face so no one would see the glory fading away. Don't let the glory fade away! When anyone turns their face to The Lord, the veil is taken away and they are face to face with HIS Glory! 17. Now The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of The Lord is, there is FREEDOM. 18.And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from The Lord, who is the Spirit. My paraphrase based on The Message- When we recognize that God is a living, personal presence and when God is personally present, a living spirit, the old legislation is obsolete. We are free! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. We are transfigured into his likeness, our lives becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become more like him. So let the Sonshine in and face it with a grin, open up your heart and let the Son-shine in!
Letting the Son shine in!
Stephanie Goode
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