Light Wakes Up the World

Good morning! At least it’s morning for me. I love mornings when the sun is waking the world with its light. The dew is still clinging to the blades of grass, and the drops shine like little diamonds in the reflection. It’s almost magical.

By the way, the title of this post has nothing to do with Bruce Springsteen’s song with the same title. I wasn’t a fan of that song all those many years ago. I did like his song, “Dancing in the Dark.” But that is the opposite of what this post is about. LOL! Did you know he even recorded the children’s Sunday school song, “This Little Light of Mine.” Yep! There is always a debate about which Springsteen song was his best. I was more of a John Denver fan myself. Oops. Sorry to get off track. That happens a lot with us old folks. We get distracted more easily than when we were young. I remember a time when…oops again, never mind!

The Light of God’s Presence

Anyway, It is such a joy for me to start my days in God’s presence. I love being reminded that “His steadfast love never ceases, and His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.” That’s one of my very favorite Bible passages from Lamentations 3:22-23.Those “new mercies” means I get a “do-over” every single day. There is no rubbing my nose in my mistakes! Praise God for that! He is so, so good.

I am sitting here in my usual spot this morning for my quiet time with God. The sun is brightly shining right in my eyes through the glass in the front door. It does this almost every day. I used to think about moving to a different spot, but this is my favorite, most comfortable place to sit. I do all my writing and work in this spot. So instead of moving, I usually just squint and try to block the sun from my eyes. It is so bright that it blinds me to everything else in front of me!

Seeing Things in a “New Light”

But a few days ago, I realized how wonderful the light is, and I decided to change my perspective (and my attitude). Now that same light reminds me that my Savior is the only light that can cut through my darkness. His light radiates into every little corner of my heart and fills me with such warmth. Focusing on His light can make the bad stuff not seem so big. It’s still there, I know, but the light consumes it, and I can have an intimate moment in His divine presence.

Some days I need the light’s brightness more than other days. I need it to fill me with peace. Now I see what used to annoy me as a special little “private message” just for me from my loving Father. It is a reminder of His faithfulness and care. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and try to soak it all in.

The Light is Always There

In just a few minutes, as the sun climbs in the sky, the light is no longer blinding me through the front door. That’s okay because I can still feel its warmth and remember his faithful loving light in my heart.  I close my eyes again and thank him for all he does for me every day. He’s not just “the light of the world,” he is my light, my hope, and my strength.

Reflecting God’s Light

We all know someone who needs his light as much as we do, maybe even more. They feel lost, alone, discouraged. Maybe they are in pain physically or emotionally. Or maybe they have lost someone precious to them. Jesus calls us the “light of the world,” and he tells us to let our lights shine. Why? “So that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). You see, we don’t make our own light. We can’t take credit for that. We reflect the Lord’s light. And that means even when we don’t feel very “bright” on our own.

We are like the Moon. Did you know that our moon does not make it’s own light? Nope, it reflects the light of the Sun, the strongest, most powerful light in our solar system. So, we also get our light from the brightest, most powerful source in our lives, the Lord.  The folks at NASA can explain this to you better than I can (they have a bit more experience and training than I do!). https://science.nasa.gov/moon/moonlight/

We Reflect What is Important to Us

So, we reflect what is most valuable to us. Sometimes we need to examine our priorities to keep track of what we are reflecting! Is it that singer we love to listen to, that social media influencer we follow, the video games we play, the movies or TV shows we binge watch? Or maybe it’s just our friends we hang out with? Those sources can’t give us what we really need. The brightest source of perfect light, the light that can fill us with true peace and joy, is only found in the Lord. Nothing else is as genuine and life-giving as He is.

Well, the sun has risen high in the sky, and I need to get to work. I just wanted to share these thoughts with you this morning. Sometimes it’s hard to find something good in all the blinding moments that crowd our days, isn’t it? Keep looking for the light, my dear one. Let it warm you deep inside. And keep watching for his personal little “messages” in everyday things! They are there, just whispering how much he cares for you.

You are my Sunshine!

I love to sing this little song to my granddaughters. (I’ve sung it to them since the day they were born!) “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, Dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” I think it’s the same song my heart sings to the Lord, too. And he always assures me that he isn’t going anywhere!

Prayer:

Dear Father, you are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine. Even when I am facing gray skies, you warm me with your presence and your peace. Thank you for sending me those little personal messages that remind me of how much you love me. Help me to reflect your light to everyone I meet so they will know that you are their Sunshine, too. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.