“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16, NIV
At 2:30 am, our family was awakened by the screaming sound of smoke alarms throughout the house. Ten people, five barking dogs, and two cats all reacting accordingly to the warning jumped out of bed (or in the case of the cats, under the bed) to address the situation. We were on vacation at our summer home in Delaware when all of this went down. With heads scratching after a careful and thorough examination of our surroundings, we determined the culprit to be nothing more than a faulty alarm, probably in need of a new battery. However, when one alarm sounds, they all sound! Therefore, we had no idea how to solve the problem. Oh, and did I forget to mention, that every smoke alarm is located high up in a vaulted ceiling?
The unsettling, unsolved cacophony of eardrum-piercing noise throughout the house sent us to call the non-emergency fire department number, where we were instructed to call 911. Within minutes, the local volunteer fire department arrived at our front door, fire truck, emergency vehicle, and fully-dressed-for-a-fire-emergency crew, all to help us remedy our conundrum. After checking to make certain there was not a real fire, the firemen climbed the ladder and removed what was presumed the malfunctioning unit. Along with our sleepy-eyed family members, the fire department crew laughed at the craziness of it all. We thanked them for coming out and off they went, leaving us to return to our beds in the quiet as God intended humanity to sleep.
Lesson takeaway: I was grateful the situation was not life-threatening. Then, I was thankful for the emergency crew who came to our rescue not knowing if what they faced was a fire, or another type of potentially dangerous environment. In our current world atmosphere, a spirit of hostility seems to be the first line of defense. The emergency crew could have been understandably annoyed and acted ugly, leaving us to feel ashamed of having called them for nothing more than a non-cooperative smoke alarm; but we went back to sleep feeling well cared for and valued.
I do not know if our “rescuers” are God-loving believers, however, they did not “grumble or argue” with their “audience in distress;” instead, they “shine[ed] like stars in the sky…” giving glory to God knowingly, or unknowingly. Should I not, therefore, as a child of God act accordingly when the opportunity presents itself as I go about my daily routine? The answer is a resounding, yes!
Lord, today, and everyday impress upon my heart and mind the joy of knowing You. Let Your presence flow out of my mouth with words that are edifying to those around me and pleasing to You, the Author of everything that is right and good. Amen.
