Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, August 2017]

I have in my hands two boxes
Which God gave me to hold
He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black,
And all your joys in the gold.”
I heeded his words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I store,
But though the gold became heavier each day
The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black
I wanted to find out why
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
“I wonder where my sorrows could be.”
He smiled a gentle smile at me.
“My child, they’re all here with me.”

I asked, “God, why give me the boxes,
“Why the gold, and the black with the hole?”
“My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go.”

–Author Unknown–

Helen’s article in ‘Yours’ a couple of weeks ago reminded us about Romans 15:7, which asks us to accept one another just as Christ accepted us. You could say Paul is asking us to put what others have done to offend us into the black box. Michael also wrote in ‘Yours’ about how God often shows us new things from the storehouse of His word and these are definitely things worth storing in the gold box.

As you go into the week ahead, think of these boxes. For those things that annoy you, or hurt you, place them in the black box and allow them to slip away. Those things which bring a smile to your face, which bless you, place in the gold box.

One other thing; remember to dip into the gold box often, to bring out things to share with others. God’s laws of mathematics ensure us that as you give of your good things to share with others, you’ll end up with more, not less.

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