Just What Is a Smoking Flax?

The Gospel of Matthew says of Jesus, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench. . . ."

Than

A teacher said, "The smoking flax would be like a spent match. You know how, once the flame is extinguished, there's smoke? That's the picture."

Another commentator said that this would be like the wick of a lamp just before it finally gutters out. Usually you would extinguish such a pathetic light.

And yet we have this picture of Jesus, so gentle, blowing this nothingness back to light and life.

And the first part of that passage, about the bruised reed? My mental picture with that is something like a sock that has a worn spot. Have you ever had a threadbare spot, and with a little nudge of your finger, you put a hole in the cloth? Or maybe like when you bite the inside of your cheek, and then it doesn't heal for a week, because you keep biting it or playing with it?

It's easy to do!

And yet the picture of Jesus is the opposite of that. He doesn't put extra pressure on the bruised part of the reed, mindlessly destroying the reed.

Oh—and it's a reed. I don't live in Israel, but I suspect that reeds there are rather like grass here. They grow. There's a lot of them. Any individual one isn't worth much, because you can always get another one.

But here are these beautiful pictures of Jesus, gently caring even for the bruised reed, tenderly blowing back to life the smoking wick.

Receive this gentleness of Jesus.

Love,

Amy Lykosh
John and Sarita's oldest daughter
Second-generation Sonlighter
Homeschooling mom to five

Hold These Two in Tension

Jesus has a beautiful invitation to his followers: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

I love this.

And so it jars me to get to Paul, who tells Timothy, "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules."

Paul compares the walk of faith to soldiers going to battle (not on leave) and to athletes competing.

Truthfully? I don't want to have to be that intense. I prefer the rest, the yoke shared with Jesus.

But the record of Scripture is that the hardships of battle, the athletic endurance . . . this, too, is part of my walk.

I don't know that I fully understand how to hold this in tension. I suspect that there are both times of harder running and times of rest, and that maybe those don't always occur simultaneously. Or maybe even the hardships of battle, with Jesus, are more restful than daily life without Jesus. I'm not sure.

But I take comfort that both the rest and the running are part of the life of following Jesus.

So whether you are more feeling like life if a battle, or more feeling like life is restful . . . congratulations! You are walking by faith. Carry on.

More to come.

Love,

Amy Lykosh
John and Sarita's oldest daughter
Second-generation Sonlighter
Homeschooling mom to five

P.S. I love reading your responses, and, please know, even if I don't respond, I read each one. If you have something on your heart or mind that you would like me to write about, would you let me know? As we walk this road together, I count it a privilege to have an insight in your life and what you are thinking about.

Subject: Joseph Actually Had to Be in Prison

In Sonlight's World Literature program, there's a book that I wish all believers would read: The Insanity of God. A missionary, crushed by the tremendous need, and the seeming ineffectiveness of believers in the face of hell on earth, toured various closed countries around the world, meeting with believers who have stood strong in the face of persecution. This book is the summary of what he found.

One of the ideas that struck me when I first read it, and has continued to resonate for several years, is that Joseph, unjustly imprisoned, might have prayed to be released. We know that he sought help from his fellow prisoner, but when the prisoner—Pharaoh's wine taster—was released, the man forgot Joseph. For a couple more years.

It's easy to forget this period of the story, because we know the ending so well, when Pharaoh dreams, the wine taster pipes up, Joseph is released and becomes second in command over all Egypt, and the prophetic dreams are all fulfilled.

But during this time in prison—that's not so pleasant to think about.

And yet, Joseph had to be there, so that when Pharaoh dreamed, Joseph the dream interpreter was ready.

This is one of the lessons of the persecuted church: if the Lord puts you in prison, trust that he has a purpose for you there, and don't seek to leave prematurely. Seek to be faithful where God has put you, whether that's in prison or in the Pharaoh's court.

I don't know what your "prison" is today. I hope it's not homeschooling, though I know that, for some people, it might be. But I have friends and sisters in Christ who deal with chronic fatigue, cancer treatments, marital breakdown, post-partum depression.

My prayer for you is that, when you find yourself in some form of constrained situation, that you are sustained.

Because Joseph's story didn't end in prison. There was a different ending, that was prophetically told from the beginning. And it came, in God's time.

If I could get really personal here . . . just over a year ago, one of my dear friends died.

And I was driving around Virginia, listening to the Sons of Korah sing Psalm 91. Listen now. This Psalm ends, "I will satisfy him with long life."

And it rocked me back, because my beautiful, godly friend did not have long life.

But then the singer sang, "A long, eternal life" . . . and I remembered that my story isn't over when my days on this planet are.

Neither is your story.

Go in courage and peace.

More to come.

Love,

Amy Lykosh
John and Sarita's oldest daughter
Second-generation Sonlighter
Homeschooling mom to five

I love seeing all the beautiful photos of families starting the school year.

And I enjoy reading so many different responses to the start of school:

• Surprised that it takes such a short time each day
• Thrilled to get through a week in a calendar week
• Saddened by attitude challenges
• Satisfied with the reduced stress in the mornings
• Joyful about more family time
• Uninspired to start again, with so many depleting family circumstances

You might fit in one or more of these categories. Welcome to the world of homeschooling, where even a single day can have the lowest of lows and yet, miraculously, end pretty well.

And as I prayed about what to write about . . . hold on.

Even to say that makes me sound super spiritual. I would love to be super spiritual. I am not.

I am a mom who is desperate for more wisdom than I have, who is trying to get done more in a day than I think is actually possible.

And I had a feeling that I was supposed to write something, and then started groping for what that should be . . . that is why I pray. Because I am needy. And because I know where to go for my needs to be filled.

As I prayed about what to write, this is what came to mind. I hope you'll read it.

You are going to come to the end of yourself. That's the beginning.

You have probably heard these verses in James. "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind."

And the first half is good, that if you lack wisdom, you can ask God and he'll give you what you need. And the second half is sobering, because it is hard, in the face of need, to say, "Yes, I know you'll do this." Especially if you've prayed for healing and been denied, or had some serious setback in life, where you think, "Does prayer really work?"

And James is there saying, "You mustn't doubt, or you won't get your wisdom."

It's a bit disheartening, really. Maybe it's easier not to bother asking.

But I think perhaps that is where the cry of the desperate father in the Gospel of Mark comes in: "I believe! Help my unbelief!" (I am so thankful that the stories in the Bible are so incredibly relatable! I could be that man!)

If I can testify: ask for wisdom. Ask with whatever desperation you have, whether large or small.

Ask because there is nothing to lose.

Ask because this is a request that will be granted.

This is my journey. I have spent years not thinking to ask for wisdom.

But these last months, I have needed more wisdom than I have. And there has not been one time that I have asked and not received.

In a small example: recently, the Sonlight Marketing team had an all-day meeting to discuss what is to come for the next year. We laughed a lot (there are some funny people on the team!), and had a good time.

Late in the afternoon, we had been batting an idea around for a while, and it was like we hit a wall. No more inspiration, just total brain slump.

And we stopped and said, "We actually need more wisdom." So we asked for it.

We got done praying, and I thought, "I have absolutely nothing." But there was also a sense of expectation (and maybe a little fear): "Who will have something? (Someone, I hope!)"

And one team member said, "This is what we should do!"

And that was exactly it!

My sister and I have prayed for wisdom several times a week over the last few months, and every time, we get to the end of the prayer and know what the next step is.

Or at least start a conversation that leads to the next step.

You are going to reach the end of yourself, if you haven't already.

When that happens, ask for the wisdom that God gives, knowing that God will give it.

More to come.

Love,

Amy Lykosh
John and Sarita's oldest daughter
Second-generation Sonlighter
Homeschooling mom to five

P.S. Please remember what I wrote at the beginning, this is not me having figured something out, or a formula for "getting what you want or what you need," but a real, practical aspect of my walk with God that I have seen: God does answer these prayers for wisdom. I've been surprised by some of the answers I've received--the "still small voice" which I've followed, while clear, has not always worked out the way I expected. It's still been hard. I've cried out, gotten an answer, moved forward . . . and been stumped. And cried out, and received an answer . . . and been stumped. I take encouragement, though, that when I look back over the whole season, I can see where God directed, where He led. So even though I might be mixed up, and the way is hard, and beautiful, and difficult, and lovely--overarchingly, it's about Him. And that makes me rejoice.