I love fireworks. I’m not all that into the little ones you shoot off by yourself. I like the BIG ones. If they don’t light up the entire sky in a shower of fire and rattle your chest when they explode, then I say, “Why even bother?” Even more exciting than fireworks alone is fireworks set to music. On my list of things I hope to do before I go to Heaven, is going to Boston on the fourth of July to see “Pops Goes the Fourth” in person.
One thing about these shows that not everyone knows is that they are ridiculously expensive to produce. Some of the shells in a professional show can run over a thousand dollars a piece. When you get shows that include hundreds or even thousands of individual shells, you can see just what a massive investment it can be. With that much money on the line, it is imperative that everything goes smoothly. A few years back, there was a special on TV that showed just how these shows come together.
The larger shows (such as the annual show in Boston) can take several days to setup. As the shells are loaded into the firing tubes and set into place for each show, the shells themselves become susceptible to their one natural enemy: rain. While they are still on the ground, even a small shower can cause major damage. The shells themselves are made out of paper and cardboard. They are plain, and actually kind of ugly looking. If they get too wet, the water will soak into the gunpowder inside and the shell will be ruined.
What is interesting, though, is that a rain shower won’t stop a show. As long as the shells stay dry, they can be fired in the rain without an issue. Once the shell is in flight, the rain doesn’t have a chance to get the powder wet before the shell explodes. This presents a quandary. How do you keep the shells dry, but still give them a clear firing path so they can be launched in the rain? The answer was ridiculously simple. Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil.
Once the shells are loaded into the firing tubes, the technicians place a piece of foil over the opening of each one and secure it with two rubber bands. The foil is strong enough to keep the shells dry, while at the same time, thin enough to allow the shell to escape the tube without slowing it down or altering its trajectory. I found this to be fascinating. Here you had a multi-million dollar show that spent months in the planning, requires dozens of technicians to coordinate, and the whole thing is protected by ten bucks worth of tin foil. How crazy is that?
But you know what would be even crazier? Having the technicians who planned, organized, and setup the display decide that they would just leave the shells in the tubes where they were safe rather than firing them off. How many people would come out to see them? How excited would they be to view millions of dollars worth of fireworks that were just sitting on the ground, hidden from sight?
The past two weeks have been an amazing time in our church. Twice now Christ has intervened and changed Pastor Rick’s message. It has been an incredible and exciting thing to be a part of. As the staff has met together over the past few weeks, we’ve been impressed with the sense that God is calling us to do something big. REALLY BIG.
In the sixth chapter of Judges, Israel found itself in a dark hour. A group known as the Midianites had completely decimated Israel. The scriptures tell us it was so bad that many had abandoned their homes and were living in caves. In the midst of this great uncertainty and tragedy was a man named Gideon. He is introduced to us while he is hiding in a wine press, threshing wheat. In this crude shelter, he seeks safety and protection from his enemy. This unlikely candidate is then called upon to lead the army of Israel to defeat the Midianites.
God sent His angels to pull Gideon out of his hiding place. God knew that Gideon could never fulfill his calling while hiding in a wine press. It is only when Gideon leaves a place that seems to offer safety and security that God is able to perform a fantastic miracle.
When we surrender fully to the Holy Spirit, His power takes the plain and ordinary gifts that we have to give, and transforms them into something truly extraordinary. He covers us with His protection and grace while we mature and grow, and He protects us from the enemy. Then, once the timing is perfect, He calls us to action, knowing that even if conditions are not ideal, His Spirit shields us from the attacks of the enemy.
What is it that God is calling you to do? And more importantly, are you willing to say, “Yes, Lord. Yes, to Your will and to Your way.”
Prayer: As the leadership team strives to hone the vision we believe God is giving us, be in prayer that we will have clarity of thought and spirit, and that we will have the courage to leave behind the comfortable in order to pursue the divine.
Suggested Scripture: Judges 6 – 7.
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