This Little Light

Darkness is the absence of light and coldness is the absence of heat.  Nothing can be too light or too cold, merely not light enough or not warm enough.

Those laws are things we learn early on in life and we accept them as irrefutable.  (I know we accept them that way because they are - hence the nature of a law - but go with me for a minute).  So if we accept those to be true in the world we can see, why do we not accept the darkness theory in our spiritual journey?

I mean, can we still be a Christian if we experience a dark period in life?  If we suffer from depression, or some ailment or just life can we still be walking in faith and be redeemed and glorified by God's grace through that circumstance?

Of course we can.

But all to often we "right people off" because they are struggling with darkness in their life.  They are unable to control an addiction, they are suffering from depression, they have financial struggles...they made a mistake...so can they really be walking with God.  Jesus said "he who has no sin let him cast the first stone" - AND THEY ALL LEFT!  But too often we are quick to judge people who are struggling with darkness.  Why is that?

Shouldn't we be looking not at the level of darkness (translated - bad stuff) in our lives but rather at how much light we are letting into our lives to overtake the darkness?

We know that a single candle can change the entire room.  It goes from pitch black, to a low light hue allowing your eyes to adjust enough to discern objects in your path and even the boundaries of the room.  If you add a second candle to that, you exponentially enhance the viewing of the room because the additional light is building off the first light's effects.  Each time you do this, the room becomes brighter and brighter.  You can discern colors, faces, read, write and do just about anything because you can see clearly.

We use this example to illustrate how just one person can make a huge difference in someone else's life because of the light they carry with them.  But today I am challenging myself to turn the candle around and begin to reflect on how much light I am letting God bring into my life to remove the darkness and bring to the forefront anything that should not be there.  Eliminating any emotion, thought, belief or attitude that would hinder me from seeing my true identity in Him, hearing His voice and doing whatever He asks.

The battle of the dark night continues in my life, but as it does, I am learning to yearn for the light - even into those areas that I would rather keep secret.  Those dark closets that keep things tucked neatly (and not so neatly) hidden from the sight of those around me.   And I am learning to not judge others by the dark nights in their lives.

Though the battle rages on, let my spirit say, "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine".  And as I do, may God, cause that light to grow and to reach every dark corner of my heart.  May I know what it is to be fully exposed and fully loved all at the same time.  And may I learn to do the same for all those I come in contact with as well.