I was praying and God brought my adjustable portable Afrog Light Fixture to my mind. My light is working great now, and it is very useful. I am so glad I did not toss it or give it away when I was frustrated with it. The real problem with my light fixture was that I did not understand how it worked. I did not have instructions for it, and it was very different from any light fixture that I had ever had or seen before. It has a clamp base for attaching it to a shelf or desk edge with a flexible ring type light extending from the clamp base. The clamp base has a charging USB cord with an On/Off button on the side of the clamp. My adjustable Light Fixture is very unique and now I cherish it.
Determination
I wondered why God brought my Light Fixture to my mind during my prayer. I started to remember how frustrated I was with this unique Light Fixture in the beginning. I had a problem trying to get it to work properly without instructions. I do not have a mechanical aptitude and sometimes I am uncomfortable asking for help. So, I was determined to get the light to work on my own. It was just a light fixture, and I thought it would be silly to need help to get it to work. I can be determined if not prideful occasionally.
It Needed Power
I had figured out it needed the USB to be plugged in to charge it. Then I figured out it needed the On/Off Button to have a green light on to charge and work. If you click the button to the off position, the light goes off. Seemed simple enough. Then as I was clamping it on a shelf the light went off. The button was still in the on position and the green light was visible. I tried adjusting the clamp and it came back on. I held the clamp in place and even adjusted the flexible extension of the ring type light. It suddenly changed to a weaker amber light. I moved the adjustable extension as I held the base in place, and it changed to a brighter light.
Diagnostic Failure
I began to suspect that it had a short the way it flashed, and the light changed intensity or would just stop working. I had a light with bad wiring once in my past that would flash, change light intensity and stop working. I remembered that it needed to be rewired or tossed. I diagnosed my new light’s problem as the same problem. I did not get a second opinion from anyone experienced with mechanical problems. I saw my light’s problem as my problem and did not want to bother anyone with my small insignificant problem. I did not realize that I was allowing my limited past experience, pride and frustration to control my perspective.
Defected Merchandise
I decided the Light must be defected in some way. To make a long story short, I will just confess that every time I started to toss it or give it away, God stopped me. When I say God stopped me, I mean every time I was frustrated with the light and wanted to get rid of it, this strange peaceful thought would come into my mind and urge me to give it another chance. Every time I tried to adjust it or had to recharge it with the USB cord it would affect the light and sometimes it would just turn off. God would not let me toss it and I could not handle the frustration another day. I gave up on it and put it in a box. A year or two went past.
Cleaning Season
I was cleaning out my closet for a Charity and found the box in a dark corner with the defective Light. I started to put it in my bag of donations and thought maybe the Charity could get the thing to work properly. I was conflicted about giving something I found useless to the Charity and headed towards the trash can instead. I felt the familiar peaceful feeling come over me and the thought to give the light another chance to work properly. I plugged in the light and charged it. I clamped it on a shelf, and it worked. I adjusted it and the light flashed and changed as it had years before.
Timing and Perspective
Then I started thinking about the Icon on the base of the clamp near the Company name and touched it. I quickly noticed that the Icon was responsible for the flash and change of light intensity. I found it had four settings: Bright, Ambler, Low Light and Off. I eventually learned that I was clamping the light upside down and could not see the Icon that controlled the light intensity. Because of my limited upside-down perspective, I was unable to see I had been accidently touching the Light Setting Icon.
Looking Back
Looking backward in time often makes me realize what I could have done differently to get the results I wanted. I could have looked for instructions online. I could have played with the light and explored it like any small child would have done when they play with a new toy. I could have shown it to someone with a mechanical aptitude. I was embarrassed by my lack of patience and fortitude in problem solving. I remembered that I did one thing correctly; I actually prayed for God to fix the annoying broken light.
I Was the Broken Light
God did not fix my Afrog Light, He fixed me instead. As I remembered all of this during my prayer time this morning, I understood why God would not let me throw this annoying light away. The light was not broken; I was. I understood He is patient with me because He loves me. I understood that God does not give up on me either and He considers me much more valuable than that Light Fixture that He would not let me toss out. He reminded me He feels this way about all of His children.
We Are Unique Lights
We are God’s unique lights in the world. We people do not come into other people’s lives with our own unique set of instructions. We don’t have a button that is labeled “press here” to motivate me. We do not have warning labels, “Warning Do NOT press here” because I am wounded and will fight with you or run away.
We Are Complicated
Sadder still is that we do not even understand ourselves fully and know where all our own buttons are. Sometimes people are going to be frustrated with us just because of the way we were designed and wired to work. They are too frustrated to take the time to get to know us and understand us. We can also feel this way about ourselves and others. My dad would have said, “The road goes both ways.”
Our Maker
We need our Maker’s understanding, our God’s perspective. God does help us accept and see people from a different perspective when we ask. He will open our eyes to see ourselves and others from His perspective. People are unique and complicated lights for Christ. God is the only one who truly understands how each of us are wired and what helps us work properly with others. The good news is that we have direct 24/7 communication with The Maker through prayer. Even the Disciples needed to let go of their pride and pray together in order to work together in Christ. We are blessed when we follow their example as we walk with Christ Jesus.
We Are Responsible for Ourselves
We need God’s perspective to understand ourselves and others. In many ways we may be similar to other people, yet God has made us unique. We need to walk with God to have His peace and patience with others. We all are being sanctified by Christ because none of us are perfect. I believe God wanted to use my unique light to teach me to be more patient with others and myself. To not toss people away because they are so different. I want to be a responsible learner and remember the lessons God has taught me with my Afrog Light Fixture. I know while I am walking with God that I am still learning how to sow seeds of love, truth and peace. I must be humble and teachable to be the unique light the Lord has called me to be in Him. No matter how old we are, we all are still learning as we walk with God.
God Teaches
We cannot expect others to think, learn and feel like we do. We are all wired a little differently. If God was teaching us about Elephants, imagine how He would divide His lessons into different categories. If God was teaching you how an Elephant eats using their mouth and trunk, then share your lesson with someone else. Then both of you could learn how an Elephant eats. Please don’t expect others to embrace your lesson with the same enthusiasm. Remember that you and others are unique and might be learning different lessons. God may be teaching someone else how the Elephant’s ears work.
Accepting Others
Listen and learn when others share their joy at learning how an Elephant’s ears work. It is a blessing for you to learn and rejoice with each other. If needed, remind others in the Spirit of Love that you are both unique. Pray that you can both praise God for teaching you about the different attributes of an Elephant and how to share the knowledge. We know from the Scriptures that the Kingdom of God is unique and more wonderful than anything on Earth, even an Elephant. We cannot fully comprehend God’s Kingdom as humans. We must walk with God to understand even in part what God is teaching us about His Attributes and His Kingdom.
Prayer for My Own Uniqueness
Lord God Almighty, sanctify me in Your holiness and love through Christ Jesus. Please help me walk with You and rely on Your understanding and compassion for others. Help me remember that You have made us each unique. Help me let go of my expectations and frustrations when someone is so unique that I don’t understand them. You have made us all worthy of Your patience and kindness because of our salvation through Christ Jesus. Lead me in prayer according to Your Will for Your Glory. Lead me to pray in love for others as I would want to be prayed for. Please give us all a humble and teachable Spirit so we can find our joy in You. Please favor me with a great sense of Your humor as I understand how unique I am in You. Open my eyes as I walk with You and rely on Your many attributes to lighten the hearts of those around me. In Christ Jesus I pray for Your glory Father and the joy of Your children. Amen.