My Nana Regauld was a teeny-tiny, feisty, humorous woman who, for some reason, could not stand Regis Philbin. To this day I do not understand why she watched Live with Regis and Kathy Lee faithfully, yet, during the entire show, would mutter about how much she did not like him. She had never even met the man! To me, he seems very friendly and giving. But to my Nana, well, don't get her started!
Unfortunately, I was not able to spend much time with my Nana when I was growing up. I do have a very special connection with her, however.
Ready to know what it is?
OK, don't laugh.
My Nana and I both loved the moon.
I am not making that up. I remember as a child sitting outside in my backyard at night, watching the moon and stars. I remember tracking the constellations and looking at the moon and planets up close through my telescope, all with eager anticipation of something new that I would learn that night. I could spend hours looking at different crevices in the moon. I smiled at the man on the moon, knowing that he was obligated to smile back at me.
I was thrilled when I found out that, during the times that I was sitting outside in my backyard in Little Rock smiling at the moon, my Nana was sitting on her front porch in Rhode Island, doing the same thing. I remember my Nana telling me how she would talk to the moon, and how upset she was when we sent men to the moon and that they left "their junk" on the moon.
Nana and I had that conversation right before I moved to Chile. I remember staring at the moon from the airplane as we made our overnight flights from Dallas to Santiago, and from Santiago back to Dallas. I remember sitting on my balcony in Santiago, nine stories up, looking at the moon, knowing that my Nana was doing the same thing at that very moment. I remember thinking that the moon connected me to my family in the United States. That they were seeing the same moon as I was, and, somehow, it made the distance between us much shorter and more bearable.
I tear up even now thinking that tonight, I will look through my window blinds, like I usually do, and find the moon, and remember my Nana.
I love how God has given us earthly visuals to help us understand Heavenly Realities.
One of the reasons I am fascinated by the moon is that, really, the moon is nothing special at all. It is just a big rock floating around us in space. It doesn't have any special qualities or abilities. However, on most nights of the month, the moon shines brightly on us while the sun warms the other side of the earth. But the moon doesn't shine on its own. No, it's just a rock. It has no special abilities, remember. So how does the moon shine?
It reflects the sun.
As we continue in our year long study of discipleship, remember that we are designed by God to reflect the Son. We, of our own accord, have no special qualities about us. It is only because we have His Spirit in us that we have worthy lives. Thank the Lord for that! Please understand what I mean. Each one of us is dearly loved. Each one of us has purpose and identity in Him. But what makes us special is what He has done for us and who we are in Him. I fear that Satan continues with his attack on women, making them feel insecure in Jesus Christ. He does that in so many ways. And we loose sight of how beloved we truly are! God has never called us to prove ourselves to Him. We just WALKed through a study that taught us that Jesus' grace is greater than our sin. So let us NOT go back into our old ways of thinking that lead us down the road of insecurity in Jesus Christ.
That thinking was so 2012!
No, as we seek to build on the firm, true foundation of discipleship, let us remember that the basis of this foundation is that we were made to be like the moon. Only the Son we reflect to this world is far more glorious!
Grace, peace and much love to you precious sisters,
Michele
