Tip of My Iceberg

I have a passion for candles.

Not the overly floral types, nor the ones that smell like cookies or fruit. My favorites are those that smell like pine trees, meadows, or the ocean. And the wood wicks are the best because they crackle when you light them.

I’ve had this candle for over five months, and I’ve been lighting it every morning for an hour and a half. It’s my quiet time, an opportunity to be still, pray, and read my Bible. The candle adds ambience.

But it’s melted quite messily and has lasted a lot longer than I would have imagined. Some say I should pitch it because it’s no longer aesthetically pleasing.

It still smells good, however. Like pine trees.

Lately, I feel like I’ve been that messy candle. Dripping in the heat of the moment, not able to stand up against circumstances I have no control over, and sensing that I’m letting others down with whatever I’m lacking.

You know, like the melted wax that just puddles. I can puddle.

When I was in fourth grade, my teacher, Miss Glixson, was a stickler for neatness. She would have random desk checks, wanting the inside of our personal space to be neat and tidy so we could find things easily.

I was never neat and tidy. I was always in a hurry, throwing things in my desk because I’d spend more time talking to classmates than organizing what was inside my desk.

I never got a good grade for desk neatness. We could never straighten up if we were one of the last ones to be checked. We had to stand beside our desks with the proof of our efforts right there for everyone to see. Every time Miss Glixson would do these desk checks, she’d get to my desk, shake her head, and say, “Messy desk, messy head.”

I’ll admit my head has been messy many times. It’s pretty hard to avoid garbage on the brain with all that is spoken that defines itself as truth. There are times when there’s so much contentiousness in the news and around the world that it’s easy to want to back away and ignore it.

We’re not victims, however, of our circumstances or our stories. We’ve been given the ability to make decisions and the wisdom to do so with logic and thoughtfulness. What we choose to believe determines our reality. How we follow our reality determines our character.

Jesus unhinged the thinking of many when He came to earth to help us understand who God is and how He longs for a relationship with us. He didn’t criticize anyone but the religious leaders whom He called hypocrites. They played at being holy. He didn’t condemn those who’d made multiple mistakes but showed them love and forgiveness. And He shared through Paul how focusing on the right things can change the way we live.

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious–the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Philippians 4:8.

We become exactly like what we focus on.

If I focus on my mess, like the melted candle of my emotions and heart, I’ll be the Negative Nancy who misses the good in anyone.

If I focus on what’s good and true, the things Jesus taught, my life will reflect the hope and joy He gives.

I’m going to opt for hope and joy. No more mess of melting misery.

More like a fragrant new candle.