What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Friday, June 5, 2015

"The Light Has Come" -Random Journal Day Update

This Original Post  was written on 5/26/2013...I think that was the last time I really washed my windows I am ashamed to admit...but this past year was a bit difficult...and clean windows weren't at the top of my list of things to be concerned about.  However, recently I have been noticing that there are cobwebs and many smudges and smears from bugs, birds and dusty roads coating my windows. It is time for another good window washing day before it gets too hot.  

Anyway, my friends, today is Random Journal Day, a day to share something that we've written in our journals or someplace that we want to share with the world.  I've admitted before that I've sort of run out of suitable journal entries to share...and most of my latest writing has been right here on this blog. So, my apologies to the other ladies who are sharing their deep dark secrets from their old journals. I hope this will still be a blessing to you today.  After reading this (again!) take a little stroll over to Enthusiastically Dawn - Random Journal Day and see what our other friends are sharing. I know you'll be blessed.




The View through my clean window


5/26/2013
For those of you who happen to also be my Facebook friends, you've already heard me bragging about washing my windows yesterday...13 of them...and that's only half of the windows in my house. I ran out of steam and had to quit.  I was so proud of the fact that I had spent my day washing these windows...and many of you were duly impressed. Obviously, window washing is not something that many of us enjoy doing, and that's why it is such a big event when it happens once or twice a year (maybe).  I happen to live in a national forest, and I love looking out my windows at the birds and the trees and all of nature surrounding our home.  If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that there has been quite a bit of wildlife to view  (Click on the highlighted words to check out some previous posts about this).




But the "wildlife" around our home in the woods is not really what I want to discuss with you today. No, actually, what I have on my mind is what I discovered this morning when the sun came up.  

You've heard the old saying, "Pride goeth before the fall"?  Actually that comes from the book of Proverbs 16:18 ~
"Pride goes before destruction, 
and a haughty spirit before a fall."

That's what I experienced this morning as I opened the curtains on my freshly washed windows to let the morning sunshine in...and what to my horror did I see but streaks and smudges on my supposedly sparkling clean windows!!! How could that be? I worked so hard all afternoon washing both the inside and outside of these windows, and inspecting every one before I put the freshly scrubbed screens back on and called it quits for the day.

This is when I realized a truth about myself and people in general...

You know, we can work so hard to clean ourselves up on the outside and inside, scrubbing every blemish and flaw and making ourselves appear to be smudge-free to the rest of the world.  And then the light shines through us, revealing the shadows and smears of dust and grime that the stains of sin have left in our hearts and minds and bodies.  We thought we had done a pretty good job of covering it up, but when the true Light of God's SON shines, the darkness of our evil hearts is exposed and we realize that cleaning ourselves up in our own strength just isn't going to cut it.

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil.
For everyone practicing evil hates the light
and does not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the truth comes to the Light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen,
that they have been done in God."
John 3:19-21

Listen to what Jesus said to the Pharisees in John chapter 8:12 ~

"I AM the Light of the world.
He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,
but have the Light of life."

Again, see this message in I John 1:5-7~

"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you,
that GOD is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, 
and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth.
BUT, if we walk in the LIGHT as He is in the Light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
CLEANSES us from all sin."

Isn't it amazing the lessons that can be learned from a mundane experience such as washing windows? If we are listening and paying attention, God is speaking to us through many aspects of nature and basic daily life experiences. Perhaps we just need to "wash the windows" of our spiritual eyes more often to see the Light that He is shining upon our way. We may be surprised to see what is waiting for us right outside our windows!

I love to share old hymns with you...and here is one that goes along with today's thoughts:

"The Light of the World"

"The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin;
The Light of the world is Jesus;
Like sunshine at noon-day 
His glory shone in,
The Light of the world is Jesus.

Chorus:
Come to the Light,
'tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the Light
has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind,
but now I can see;
The Light of the world is Jesus.

No darkness have we who in Jesus abide,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
We walk in the light
when we follow our guide,
The Light of the world is Jesus.
(chorus)

Ye dwellers of darkness with sin-blinded eyes,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
Go, wash at His bidding, 
and light will arise,
The Light of the world is Jesus.
(chorus)

No need of the sun-light in heaven, we're told,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
The Lamb is the Light
in the city of gold,
The Light of the world is Jesus.

Chorus:

Come to the Light,
'tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind, but now I can see;
The Light of the world is Jesus."

(Philip P. Bliss, 1838-1876)


My final thought for today...Have YOU "come to the Light?  'Tis shining for thee!"  
On a more practical note: some of my friends tell me that using newsprint paper to wipe the windows after applying vinegar or Windex will help to reduce the problem of streaking and smears. I'll have to try that next time!  Maybe another analogy would be to let the "Good NEWS" printed in God's Word wash away all our smudges and stains! Jesus washes us white as snow...and that's very Good News!!!

12 comments:

  1. I love how God speaks to you, and then to us through such every day things as washing windows! This is a great message that will stay with me every time I do my windows. (And I will be thankful that I do not have to wash nearly as many as you do! Ha!)

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    1. Good Morning RCL: If we let God's Light shine through us, we don't have to worry about smudges and smears! And, I found out, if we use newsprint paper to wipes the windows dry, we don't have to worry about smudges and smears on the windows!

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  2. I really liked this post...until the day of our last breath we will not be perfectly clean and that is ok! All we can do is continue to wash ourselves and let the light shine through us! This made me think.....maybe on our way up to Heaven our souls go through the final "car wash" so when we reach the gate...we are streak free and perfectly clean!!! LOL

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    1. That is true, in our own strength we could never be perfectly clean. We just have to let Jesus wash us and He will get the job done right! Yes, Jesus washes us white as snow and squeaky clean...that's the only way we can enter in to the gate!
      Thanks for stopping by today my dear niece Debbie at The Craft Shack!

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  3. Oh, Pam! I am so thankful you took the time to share with us. It would not be the same if you were not here! Thank you for that. And washing windows. UGH. On my list of things to avoid! Yup,Truth. I failed Home Ec. What can I say? But these thoughts gleened through window washing...VERY CLEAR VIEW. Hugs!

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    1. Thank you Dawn! Of course you know I cheated again by posting something I've already posted before, so please don't fire me. But I believe God wants us to let our light shine over and over again...whatever it takes...as long as it brings HIM glory! I loved your story of redemption today. Thank you for sharing that. Amazing!

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  4. So dead-on, Pam. I've had that experience with windows, too. So I love the spiritual truth you shared from this mundane (grueling?) task. Let His light never stop shining so we can see and deal with those 'smudges' straight on. Right?

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    1. So right my sweet friend!! Let the SOnshine in...let it shine!!! Amen.

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  5. Ummm haven't washed the windows in this house yet...and we've been here one year already!!EEk! Ok well, I've washed the INSIDES, but not the outsides, so do I get a passing grade? No? Sheesh!

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    1. I'm glad to know that I'm in such good company! I think we are all made of the same stuff...we'd rather be writing than washing windows any day! And, as long as our INSIDES are clean (both the windows and our own inner selves), the rest will take care of itself in God's good time. The important thing is to let the SONshine IN and OUT for all to see!

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  6. Pam: This is beautiful. I like the analogy of the newsprint and the 'good news' of Jesus both eliminating the streaks and smudges of our lives.

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    1. Thank you Cecilia. That was one of the God "P.S." that He impressed on me after I finished writing my own thoughts. I love it when God whispers ideas into our heads...don't you?

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