A REFLECTOR Reflection

If you follow me on Facebook, you will know that my family and I built our very first home this past year that we moved into in late August. Everyone knows that late summer is not the proper time to be sowing grass seed. With temperatures in the 90's and low amounts of rain, one can see why the spring or fall would be more fitting...but we did not have that option. After we moved in, I hoped and prayed for rain on my new grass seed...it never came. The middle Tennessee area was in a severe drought and we did not have any measurable rainfall until late October and by then it was too late. I tried to put out more grass seed but it just didn't take so I had to come to the conclusion that my yard for the most part was going to be a muddy mess through the winter until the spring grass arrives.
After we began to get our early winter precipitation, I began to notice mud on my driveway and tire tracks that went off of the driveway and into my yard that then left a muddy trail down my street. I griped at my kids and asked who was driving in my yard, to which they all replied, it wasn't me (funny how the tire tread pattern matched perfectly and that there was still mud on their tires). I decided to put reflectors up at the corners of my driveway to help them stay clear of the mud and on the driveway... because that is what driveways are for. Over the last 10 days, I have had to pick up reflectors and replace reflectors...some that were run over by my kids friends, some by my kids, and some by that random unknown person that no one knows but they come to your house and leave empty coke cans by the couch, lose the remote or in this case drive off the driveway and in the mud. Anyways, as I was backing out of my driveway today, I noticed another reflector run over. I stopped, got out and took this picture...then the Lord smacked me upside my head with this thought. Are you really upset out of all things, a reflector?
Throughout life, there is always gonna be people running over your reflectors. There are going to be people that rub you the wrong way, intentionally or not. The question is, what do we do when it happens? Part of me wanted to call a family meeting. Another part of me wanted to hire a driver's instructor to come teach everyone in my house how to back up...but what would Jesus do? I believe Jesus would just put the reflector back up so that everyone would still take note to stay on the driveway. As I thought of my life, I realized that not only God but many people have placed a lot of reflectors up in my life these past 47 years to help me steer clear. Sad to say that I have accidentily and at times even purposely run over and disregarded many of them for what I thought was my own good...boy was I wrong. Yet every time I ran over one of those reflectors mentioned, many times they would simply set them back up, never griping or yelling but hoping and praying that I would eventually stay on the right track!
So let me ask you this question. Who is it that is running over reflectors in your life that is getting you all upset? While you're at it, think about what reflectors that you yourself have run over of someone elses. Take some time today to understand that we are all in this life together and maybe we ought to focus less on ones actions when it rubs us the wrong way and more on the Christlike way we ought to respond!
As a face is REFLECTED in water, so the heart REFLECTS the real person...Proverbs 27:19...and today and forever may my heart REFLECT Him!

Consider Your Ways...Pastor John