A Little Light Please

Your light must shine before others that they may see the good
that you do and give glory to God. Matthew 5:16

Have you ever been in the dark…I mean REALLY dark…the kind of
dark where you can’t even see the hand in front of your face?  That’s certainly not a place I like to be!  My older brother used to think it was hilarious to walk by my room and flip off the lights leaving me in the dark.  I always hated that, which is probably why he did it so often!  That darkness always caught me by surprise and the instant absence of light made me feel a second of panic.  

We were all created in the Image and Likeness of God, which means His light, is a part of each of us. It was a gift given free of charge just for being created by a loving Father.  Our end of the deal is to share that light with others.  This crazy world we live in has no shortage of dark places, people and situations.  I don’t’ think we can wish them or even pray them all away but we sure can let our light shine on them.

What does your light look like?  Maybe you’ve never really even given it
much thought. Well, there’s no time like the present to tumble that thought
around in your head for a while.  Maybe your light is the gift of patience, understanding or compassion.  Maybe you’re that person who can offer wise counsel, prayer or laughter.  You might even be that person who can fix something, cook something or help arrange and organize something. Sometimes our light dispels someone else’s darkness and we don’t even realize it.  If you aren’t sure what your gifts are, ask those close to you.  God makes no mistakes when He arranges our days and the people that cross our path.  We have dozens of chances to share our light every day.  It could be through a polite gesture like holding open a door or by listening intently as people speak to us.  Even something as simple as a warm smile can shine light into someone’s dark day.

God made each of us to be something wonderful.  We are the ones who settle for mediocrity and keep our light hidden from those who might need it.  We get one pass through this earthly life and it should be our mission to leave a bright mark!  Today hundreds of people from this community will gather to celebrate the life of a 14 year old boy who left an incredible mark on this world and who let his light shine so bright we all felt its warmth.  People like Trent really live this verse from St. Matthew.  Everyone reading this blog today can probably think of a few people they know who live  or lived their life in a shining, beautiful, inspiring way.  The best way to respect and honor these great folks is to imitate them; to let Christ's light shine through us like they did.

Some days I feel like my older brother turned off the lights and I’d like to scream…”Hey, we need a little more light please!”  If we all tried harder to live like Trent and brave, faithful people like him, imagine how much better this world would be. Perhaps, if enough of us woke up every day with a desire to live these words from St. Matthew, it might get so bright everyone could see their way to Christ.


A seed to plant:  Make a list of your gifts…ask for help if you need to. 
Pick one or two things from your list and decide to use that gift to shine your light into someone else’s darkness

Blessings on your day!