The red candle blessing
"Where ARE those red candles for my Fourth of July centerpiece?" was our mother's ongoing question for more than a week. The search was on! The question was asked several times a day.
After searching and looking over and over, and many times in the same place we had just looked, the red candles were not to be found. Had they melted and all evidence of their existence disappeared? Were they with the Christmas decorations? Had someone broken in and stolen them? Yes, it did get to be funny, yet, where WERE those red candles?
Even in the middle of the night that question would not sleep! The harder we looked, the lesser we found.
And then, one morning sitting around the old oak table enjoying morning coffee, an expression mixed with unbelief and joy covered my mother's face. "There's my red candles!"
We turned to see what she was seeing. Just a few steps away, in the glass-doored cabinet stood the red candles. Their charcoaled wicks a reminder of last year's family Freedom Celebration that had been shared around their flickering flame at the same table. All along, the red candles were right under our noses and before our eyes. We were looking too hard, we couldn't see the "forest for the trees."
God's answers to our searching and seeking sometimes come in this same way. The scripture says that we are to ask Him for our needs. Yet, it is so easy after we ask to keep on looking everywhere but toward God for the answer to come.
As with the candles, we search and search and keep asking God the same question-filled prayer over and over. "Where ARE you God?" Our minds become full of more questions instead of expecting God's perfect answer. And then, one morning around the table of His grace, we receive. "There's my answer!"
No matter in any situation, we cannot outdo our wonderful God, our Father who loves us more than we could ever grasp. His answers are always right on time and exactly in the manner needed. Thank You Lord!
"May you know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Praise and Glory to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." Ephesians 3:19-20 (paraphrased)
Janie is a staff writer for the Greene County Daily World. She can be reached at thewritedifference@outlook.com.
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