One of my favorite childhood toys was a simple carboard tube with bits and pieces of colorful plastic inside. I could turn the small outer ring slowly and watch the myriad of colorful shapes appear. Try as hard as I might; I could never seem to create the same colorful pattern more than once. The variety of patterns seemed endless. The bits and pieces of plastic inside were not always distinguishable. I vaguely recall seeing a small red heart, perhaps a yellow diamond, but other than that, the pieces seemed random and undefined. The tiny pieces were not always colorful by themselves; some pieces seemed bright while others dark; and still new colors were formed as pieces overlapped each other. I recall trying to count how many bits there were, but I could never hold the kaleidoscope still long enough to count them before pieces would shift and a new pattern would appear.
It may seem a little silly, but to me, this is an excellent metaphor for our daily lives. Our lives are a collection of emotions and activities—always shifting and always changing. Each day brings bright moments or dark moments, happiness or sadness, joy or sorrow. Some days we are too busy to even notice the time fly by; other days the minutes drag by in slow motion.
For the Christian, our one point of consistency is our Gracious Heavenly Father. He fully understands the kaleidoscope of our daily lives and he knows about all the negative bits and pieces it contains.
Job 7:4 (NLT) Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’ But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn.
Psalm 38:6-9 (NLT) I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh.
Psalm 39:4-7 (NLT) LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.
Again, for the Christian, our one point of consistency is God Almighty, our loving Heavenly Father. He never grows weary and he is always available to us when we call to him. Not only does he fully understand all the negative bits and pieces of our lives, he is the one who provides our source of joy and strength to keep going. God balances the negative bits and pieces in our lives with positive ones, in fact there are more colorful positive bits and pieces in our daily kaleidoscopes than dark pieces if we will just keep our eyes fixed on him.
Psalm 4:8 (NLT) In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.
Psalm 34:17-19 (NLT) The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.
Psalm 40:3-4a (NLT) He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God...Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD...
Psalm 94:18-19 (NLT) I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 100:5 (NLT) For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
When we take time to study the Scriptures, we can find many contrasts such as the few I have provided. I think the point is simply that our Heavenly Father knows what a kaleidoscope of emotions and activities our lives have become. Through it all, he is there, waiting for us to come to him and trust him as our one true source of consistency. As I frequently remind you, dear Reader, he is as near as your next whispered prayer!
To this day I still do not completely understand the science and mathematics required to place reflective parts at the specific angles it requires for kaleidoscopes to create such beautiful displays. But I do know this, God is able to take all the bits and pieces of our lives and reveal the inner beauty within each of our lives.
Psalm 90:1-2 (NLT) Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
You know us completely, oh Lord; there is nothing about us that you do not know. Thank you for your comfort and guidance during times of need. Thank you for your abundant blessings bringing hope and joy to our lives. Above all, thank you for listening to our prayers.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The devotional Kaleidoscopes appeared first on Write From My Heart at
https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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