Irving the Candle

Leaving the Grandstand World

I begin with a hymn-poem entitled, "O Jesus I Have Promised," then share from my book A Holy Hodgepodge, a chapter entitled, "Irving the Candle." Finally I end episode with another hymn-poem, "My Jesus I Love Thee."
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This is the story of Irving, the candle. Irving was unaware of what he was, but he knew he had a lot to do in this world. His defenses were always up because others were always trying to snuff out his light. Indeed, Irving spent his entire day just defending his wick from the snuffers he encountered. Though his light never went out, it did burn dim.

One day Irving Candle picked up a copy of the Bible and began reading Jesus' directions that if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that if someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar--go and be reconciled to that person-- then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Irving was a smart candle. He knew he had a lot of grievances against the snuffers in his life. But it seemed really important to him to fight against the oppression of light, these snuffers laid on him. He felt if he didn't fight them, his light would be snuffed out, permanently. He felt if he didn't defend himself, his light (and his life) would be over.
He put his Holy Bible down, thinking to himself that if he would just fight this battle against the current snuffer in his life, and win, he wouldn't need to fight anymore. "I'll just fight this one and then I'll try to let go of my grievances after that," he told himself. But a strange thing happened. Irving Candle never could fight that "last" battle because there were always other, more important battles that threatened his light. These battles took his attention away from his true purpose (which was to shine) and made him think his purpose was to defend his wick from the oppressors of light. There never was a last battle, only the next battle. There never was a time when he could realize his full potential of lightness because he was so into defending his wick.
As Irving Candle continued to defend his wick, his light grew dimmer and dimmer. It didn't go out (because God created Irving as light) but because Irving thought his purpose was to defend his wick, he found his goals shifted and changed hopelessly. His purpose was always outer directed. Though he felt justified in defending his wick, he was not really achieving his goal of being the light and he began to be depressed by that.
Suddenly it dawned on Irving Candle, as he thought about his light-snuffer landlord that had bilked him out of some money, that focusing on the light, (his faith in God's provision for him and his family) was more important than focusing on the dark (his resentment toward his landlord). Suddenly it occurred to Irving Candle that the best thing he could do for his family was teach them by his example and fully submit to Jesus' commands to love those who persecuted him and forgive those who do him wrong. He knew full submission to Jesus would invite His light to shine through him completely, healing him deeply. If Irving could learn to routinely give it all up to Jesus, rather than focus on defending his wick, his family would learn how to be better lights, in this world of snuffers.
It was at this point that Irving Candle dropped his previous unattainable goals of defending his wick. He did not want to be in a state of "wick"edness. The wick snuffers were too numerous, and they always found his blind spot when they came up behind him, as he walked life's path. He decided to look at the snuffers as opportunities to even grow closer to Jesus.

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