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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Red (10/01/09)
October 1 FW Challenge: Red

Title: Let your light shine…even if it’s red?

What’s wrong with this picture? It came to me by email, forwarded from a Christian friend today. It’s supposed to be Jesus. He is looking at me with his long hair, long robes and all. The picture is animated so it looks like he is blessing me with his right arm. His image is enhanced with a white glow with red and blue light beams emanating from his heart.

Next it says, “Interesting picture. Let me know what happens to you the day after you open this email. This is an unusual one. It actually gives you a time tomorrow….Let’s see if it works.”

Undoubtedly you’ve received these types of emails yourself and you know exactly what is coming next. It either promises a “blessing” if you forward the email or it threatens a “curse” upon you if you don’t.

Every time I get one of these emails something starts to rise up inside of me. If I were to put a color to it, it would be RED. The feeling is intense! It is passionate! It is angry! It also says, “Stop! Let me think this thing through before I respond.”

Here is the rest of this particular email: “Forward this message the same day you received it. It may sound ridiculous, but it is right on time. We believe that something is about to happen. Angels exist, only sometimes they haven’t got wings and we call them friends; you are one of them. Something wonderful is about to happen to you and your friends. Tomorrow at 1:10 pm somebody will address you and tell you something you have been waiting to hear. Please do not break this. Send it to at least 7 of your friends!”

So, what is wrong with this picture? I had to address this with my friend, or I would be no friend at all. This is what I wrote in response:

“Hi, thank you for being my friend. I truly believe and know that we have angels everywhere associated with our lives, God-created beings that are active in the spiritual realm who are ministering to our needs. The Bible tells us so.

“Please understand that my response here-to-forward is not any sort of criticism or indictment of you. There was a time in my life when I forwarded these types of things all the time until I started getting this quiet nudge that something wasn't quite right about them.

“So I did my own soul searching and ended up with the following conclusion.

“I can't buy into these superstitious writings that promise something special in a given number of minutes or hours. I believe God is here, NOW, present for my every need and that He speaks to me through His Word and people ALL THE TIME, if I will but listen.

“Yet, when I know I have heard something from God it, usually, isn't what I've been waiting to hear. Even demons can tell me what I've been WAITING to hear. I need to hear what God wants to tell me, what I NEED to hear, not necessarily what I WANT to hear; when He knows it is the right time to tell me, not exactly when I want to know.

“His truth, NOT my truth is what sets me free.

“So I won't be forwarding this message.

“But I DO reply to you with my love.”

The following is her response.

“Thanks, I am in total agreement with you...and I have told everyone who sends me these things to please not. I did it one time for one of my friends, just so I could prove to her that nothing was going to happen. I'm going to forward your e-mail to her, thanks.”

No longer was I seeing red. Her response back to me felt like a blessed, relieved yellow. Even better, she appreciated my thoughts enough to forward my response on to her friend as well.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 NAS)

I have always thought of my “light” as being white, clean and pure. How gratifying to know that God can use the RED lights in my life to shine through me too.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Betty Castleberry
10/08/09
This would work nicely for a devotional. I feel the same way you do about these emails we are asked to forward to "everyone".

I'm not sure if you added the notes (title, subject, etc.)at the beginning on purpose or if you just failed to delete them when you copied and pasted, but they isn't necessary. That's all taken care of behind the scenes, just for future reference.

Nice job with this. I enjoyed reading it.
Betty Castleberry
10/08/09
Um, I mean they "aren't" necessary. I changed one word, but not the other. :0)
Elizabeth White
10/08/09
Hi, I enjoyed reading this. I thought that it was well written and I liked what you had to say on the topic.
Jan Ackerson
10/10/09
Very well done. I hope many people get inspired to respond to those odious e-mails in a similar way.
Shilo Goodson
10/11/09
I think a lot of people feel the same way about these sort of emails. This was something with which many of us can relate.
diana kay
10/15/09
this was good! I just thought that the reason that the person sent you the email in the first place ... and her resonse .... did not ring quite true. But as it is probably a true story ... maybe it did happen that way.