What is it about outdoor lighting that just makes any environment more pleasant? Pick any street in the world, string outdoor lights back and forth over it, and it immediately feels safer, more inviting, and like a place you want to hang out. Even the food tastes better. Think about why people string outdoor lights at Christmas; it's almost magical. The ambience is calm, cool, and brings people together.
I have a string of these lights over my outdoor patio, and I just love the way they look and make me feel. Until one day they stopped working. Troubleshooting the issue (before I learned that Grok could solve any problem in seconds), I tried testing the outlet I had the extension cord plugged into. Worked fine. I tested the extension cord in another outlet. It worked fine. I pulled one of the bulbs out and tested it in a lamp...just fine. I had power, a way to deliver it, and functioning bulbs...but no light.
Then I realized that the string of lights had a little box thing installed in the cord. I pryed it open and found the culprit: a blown fuse. The power couldn't get to the lights. There was no connection. I replaced the fuse, lit up the patio, and my quest was successful.
No connection, no light bulb going off. The same is true about whatever message you are trying to send.
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
It's all about connection.
If you are frustrated that people just don't seem to be picking up what you are putting down, it's probably because you haven't made a connection first. You may have the most powerful idea ever conceived. The perfect solution to a problem. A thought so riveting it will change the world. Without a connection to deliver it through, it will have no impact whatsoever.
If fruit doesn't stay connected to the vine, it rots. If a hand doesn't stay connected to the arm, it withers, stinks, and is useless. If we don't stay connected to God...well...you get the picture.
Connect with the heart, then challenge and inspire the mind, then gain influence. You can't skip a step. If your frustrated lightbulbs aren't going off on the other side, check the connection. Your power is useless without it.
If you are frustrated that your life isn't lighting up everything around it and causing people to feel invited and want to hang out...check your connection. Lights without a source of power don't shine.
