Walking Under the Moonlight

I left work this evening not to late. I have been working quite a few extra hours lately to help with our March 15th deadline tomorrow, but tonight I was tired.

Maybe it was the time change with spring forward causing the affect. Or maybe it was just my body telling me to rest.

I thought about going to the gym to workout some of the stress knotted in my back, but as I was driving I decided walking outside tonight was a much better option.

And it was a much better option.

I cranked up my Hillsong worship music and walked up and down my dark, lonely street with only a few cars passing me by as company. I let my mind drift around to various topics: spiritual gifts, neighboring Pharisees, stop just going to church, and then I looked up.

The moon was shining brilliantly.

I’m often fascinated by astronomy. The spinning planets, the shooting stars, the billions of known galaxies. There is so much to stand in wonder about with these sometimes tiny dots scattered on a black canvas.

There is something magnificent about the bright, burning sun. There is something outlandish with the rings of Jupiter. There is something a little comical about the Pluto debate that have stretched through the ages (is it or isn’t it?)

But one thing that truly amazes me is the simplicity of the moon.

But our little moon is something that can sometimes be overlooked. It’s just a rock that doesn’t shine its own light. It is held onto its rotation by the gravitational pull of the Earth. It cycles through its stages not on its own accord, but the shadow of something else.

The moon isn’t anything special on its own. Just a rock.

But when you combine it with the earth, tides are tossed around thanks to this sphere. With the earth we can see its stages and is used as a calendars tool.

But even more fascinating is what it does with the sun.

Have you even shined a flashlight in the dark on a mirror or something shiny? The light bounces. The object that was once in the dark now shines. But when you look at the moon it doesn’t look like anything shiny. It isn’t covered in mirrors to bounce the light off of its surface. It is just a blank canvas.

It’s funny isn’t it, how God can take our lives which we think are blank canvases with nothing special and use it. Just like the moon. He can take our unshiny life and make it shine. He can take our mediocre self’s and make it remarkable. He can take a blank slab and turn it into something that people will look at in wonder.

Yes, the moon isn’t anything special, but on nights like tonight, the light from the sun reflects gorgeously.

It is truly amazing that a shadow can be cast from reflected light.

So my question goes up into the void, what shadow are you casting with your reflection of His light?

Are you shining positive words, encouraging accolades, heartening compassion, merciful actions, joyous smiles, faithful devotion, peaceful stillness, patience in suffering? Are your actions and words clearly seen and heard, but not from your own light but His?

Are you truly reflecting?

Look at where you are shining and see if you see any shadows. Well, can you?

God’s light is always shining. If you can’t see any shadows it may mean you’re not truly reflecting. It’s time to be the reflection of Christ for anyone to see. And then they will see the shadows.

And maybe, you will too.

Peace

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