Page 20 - Inside Report - 1st Quarter 2016

(Continued from page 9.)
Finally, the proprietor of the antique store came out and
met Wilbur in front of his store.“Wilbur, I notice you stop every

with an emulsion of silver salts, day to gaze at this vase. Since you don’t have a lot of expenses,

was used in picture taking why don’t you just buy it so you can take it home and enjoy it

between the 1850s and the 1920s.
all the time? I’ll cut you a great deal.”
In these early years, subjects had “I’d like that,” the bachelor replied. So they haggled the

to sit very still while the aperture price a little, and Wilbur bought the vase.

was opened on the camera. When he brought his new acquisition home, he carried it

Likewise, whatever
into his living room, cleared a spot on a mantel, and placed the
we expose our minds prized glass treasure in the center under a light. Then he sat

to, that image will
down to admire its beauty, gazing at his new vase.

be burned into our
But as the old bachelor stared at the new addition to his
home, he suddenly noticed the bad paint on the wall behind
characters. If you want
a pure life, behold the
the vase. So he removed the vase, cleaned the mantel up, and

holiness of God, not the repainted the wall. But once he did that, he saw how faded the

ilth of the world.
other walls were—so he painted them all. Then he sat down
When you spend to once more admire his beautiful purchase.

time looking at Jesus,
Wanting to see it in all its glory, he got up to open the

His image becomes your curtains and let in more light. That’s when he realized that it

own.“Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding had been many years since he’d washed the windows.After
us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which giving them a thorough cleaning, with all the light streaming

so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race
in, he then noticed the faded, torn curtains and replaced them.

that is set before us, ixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and Over time Wilbur purchased a new chair, replaced the
worn-out carpet, cleaned up his kitchen, weeded the
perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1, 2 NASB).
lower bed, ixed a broken fence, and even
Transformed
painted the outside of his house. Soon, the old

by Holiness
bachelor’s home was completely renovated, all
because he had introduced something so beautiful.

I once heard a story about an old retired man The lovely vase stood as a silent rebuke to his
named Wilbur. He never married and lived his
neglected, frumpy house—he just had to make
entire life alone. Several times a week he’d walk
some changes so that it would it in.
downtown to meet with some of his friends at
When we invite Christ to abide in our lives,

a local café and eat lunch together. It was a it inspires a total makeover. When we place
regular ritual.
Jesus at the center of our hearts, every spot
One day Wilbur stopped in front of an of deilement becomes painfully distinct.

antique store and peered in the window
We cannot help but say,“That needs to go.
at the display. His eye caught sight of a
This needs to be replaced. That must be
beautiful glass vase. It shimmered with
cleaned up.” Little by little, the impurities
all the colors of the rainbow; it was a
of sin are removed because we have

real jewel. He stared at the magniicent
placed the holiness of God on the mantel
piece with its exquisite patterns and
of our hearts.
shapes and was captured by its beauty.
Let’s each focus on the beauty of Jesus.
Then he continued on to the café to meet We’ll be inspired by a transforming love that
his friends. On the way home, he stopped
drives us to alter our lives to please Him and
and stared at the vase once more. This went
make the world a better place.
on for several weeks.

20
Inside Report 1Q 2016