Contagious

Matthew 5:15-16

Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Lice, skunks, severe weather, fallen trees, poison ivy, and pink eye. We have joyfully endured all of these in our home since Sunday. Well, the skunks weren't in our home, but just outside our deck. I have no idea where the lice came from...maybe costumes during our museum trip last week? As I was combing through four heads of hair and doing the prescribed lice treatment I was so very thankful for the singing, dancing and general happy chatter that filled our entire afternoon. Certainly, we could have been doing something (anything!) else, especially what I had in mind for the afternoon like unpacking a few more boxes, hanging some pictures, organizing another corner of the house. Instead, we found ourselves doing what God had ordained for the day - nit picking. And the following day evening was spent investigating the skunk smell and washing off a terrible poison ivy rash that came when Nic investigated some trees that fell in the forrest during the bad storm the night before. We had 70+ mile/hour winds that fell a few trees in our area, including one blocking the road the next street over and we spent an hour listening to the weather radio with the kids in the late night. Thankfully, our trees landed harmlessly in the forrest and the poison ivy improved right away when it was washed with Fels Naptha soap. After a few routine check ups this week, none of which were for me, I ended up with pink eye! The good news is that everyone in our home endured these challenges with a happy heart!

Really, we were hoping that this would be the week of summer that we could have some play dates with friends, but we were rather contagious in a variety of ways. The big girls asked if our friends were going to come over and with understanding they answered themselves, "No one wants to come over when you've got lice, right?" That is where Matthew 5:15-16 comes in above. I was so thankful for their happy hearts, for their singing, dancing and joy in spite of having their plans changed. Their attitudes of joy were contagious. When our light shines before others and they are able to see it and give glory to God it is contagious!

Finally, I'm thankful for the challenges that kept us home this week because it was an opportunity for our family to practice brotherly love in more ways - for the children to be kind to one another and to value one another when they had had hopes of seeing friends instead. Now, lice, skunks, poison ivy, or pink eye - none of those things are pleasant on their own; however, the heart that can accept them joyfully and live in Christ's light is pleasant heart and being around those people can become contagious in a good sort of way!