I Can See Clearly Now . . .
Friday, our neighbor's house caught fire. We noticed the smoke coming from the roof and called 9-1-1. Fortunately no one was at home and the firemen were able to rescue the two dogs and a cat.
Smoke is a great indicator that something is not right. In reality, it is a good thing. Without smoke, we would not have known my neighbor's house was on fire and it would have been a total loss.
Smoke can also be deadly. It can blind us to the reality of our situation, and keep us from seeing clearly. Our judgment and perception can be clouded by the smoke from the fires of bad judgment, poor decisions, and sins of our lives. Physical and emotional illnesses can lead to smoke producting fire that is blinding.
There was dark, black smoke pouring out my neighbor's house when the firemen arrived, but soon the air was clear. There were two elements that cleared the putrid smoke: water and air! The firemen grabbed their hoses and marched right into the burning house. Once they felt that enough water had been sprayed on the fire to put it out, they brought out a huge fan and put it in the door of the house to pull out the smoke.
What the firemen did is similar to what God does in our lives when we open the doors of our heart and let Him wash us down with the pure, sparkling water of His love, grace, and forgiveness. Then the winds of the Holy Spirit flow through, purifying us from the remains of the smoke of "self" and we can see clearly, the way God wants us to see.
On a recent trip to the Thrift Store (my favorite shopping spot) I found a CD of 70's music. I bought it and have enjoyed the memories of days past. One of the songs could have some spiritual connotations. It's written by a man named Jimmy Nash and the words go like this:
Smoke is a great indicator that something is not right. In reality, it is a good thing. Without smoke, we would not have known my neighbor's house was on fire and it would have been a total loss.
Smoke can also be deadly. It can blind us to the reality of our situation, and keep us from seeing clearly. Our judgment and perception can be clouded by the smoke from the fires of bad judgment, poor decisions, and sins of our lives. Physical and emotional illnesses can lead to smoke producting fire that is blinding.
There was dark, black smoke pouring out my neighbor's house when the firemen arrived, but soon the air was clear. There were two elements that cleared the putrid smoke: water and air! The firemen grabbed their hoses and marched right into the burning house. Once they felt that enough water had been sprayed on the fire to put it out, they brought out a huge fan and put it in the door of the house to pull out the smoke.
What the firemen did is similar to what God does in our lives when we open the doors of our heart and let Him wash us down with the pure, sparkling water of His love, grace, and forgiveness. Then the winds of the Holy Spirit flow through, purifying us from the remains of the smoke of "self" and we can see clearly, the way God wants us to see.
On a recent trip to the Thrift Store (my favorite shopping spot) I found a CD of 70's music. I bought it and have enjoyed the memories of days past. One of the songs could have some spiritual connotations. It's written by a man named Jimmy Nash and the words go like this:
I Can See Clearly Now
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.
I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I’ve been praying for
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.
Look all around, there’s nothing but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.
Comments
Ok, what caused the fire?
Great song too!
Beth