BeCome the Light

Everything exposed to the light itself becomes light.

Ephesians 5:13

Jimmy and I have started a new group at our church called Fruit of the Spirit. This class involves listening to scripture and asking the Spirit to speak to you. It is not a Bible study in the traditional sense, but a way to engage with the divine. It requires you to listen in prayer rather than talking in prayer. I have written before that I do believe prayer is less about asking and more about listening, but that is easier said than done. And get ready for it…we listen for 10 to 15 minutes!!! If you are thinking this is not a long time, you are either already great at meditation or have never tried this. If you are the latter…go ahead and pause reading, set a timer for 10 minutes, and try it. Hard, right?

The first week I wasn’t feeling so well and felt pressure to ‘hear from God’. The scripture was John 3:16-21,

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him…But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

All that I kept hearing was, “Come into the light”. Again and Again. For 10 minutes. “OK God, Come into the light. Got it. Could I get something more?” With only those 4 words, I didn’t have much to write in my journal or share with the group. It wasn’t until later, when reading the scripture again, I saw that while I heard “Come into the light” the scripture actually says “Comes into the light”. Just one little sound missing, but I wondered if it were significant.

I have been trying lately to really focus on the present moment, to think of each person in my day as a child of God, and express God’s love for them. This is not always easy. In fact, it is usually hard. Other people can be hurtful. Other people can demand our attention at a time we feel we have little to give. And let’s face it, some people’s personalities just don’t jive with our own.

Jimmy and I recently went on a cruise. At first I had a hard time adjusting to such abundance (A problem I have never had on a cruise before. If only I had continued to live in ignorance of the way most people in the world live. Jimmy and I joked about our “First world problems”. “My ice is melting out by the pool before I can finish my drink.” “Yeah, well I can’t decide if I want to get another mushroom pizza or go to the Mongolian Grill”.) However, I knew that this was much needed time for Jimmy and me to relax and spend some time with each other. So on the second day during my quiet time, I made the commitment to try to smile and show love to each person I came into contact with the rest of the trip. This included a whole lot of people that I didn’t know. Instead of judging these strangers, I tried to love them. I was not always successful, but in trying to show love to others I felt God’s love and presence with me. By trying to be God’s light, I felt God’s light.

I alone can’t be the light. It is just not possible. I am human. I make mistakes. I get angry. I get frustrated. I judge others. But thankfully, it is not my light. The light is Always there. He will be the light through me, if I come to Him.

Even in darkness, light dawns. Psalm 112:4

One of my favorite groups right now is Addison Road. I love their version of This Little Light of Mine.

“There’s a little flame inside us all. Some shine bright, some shine small. The rains will come and the waters rise, but don’t you ever lose your light. In this life you will know, love and pain, joy and sorrow. So when it hurts, when times get hard, don’t forget whose child you are.”

When we feel we have lost the light, it is still there because we are children of God. How awesome is that! What if we all shined His light? What if we all tried to love more and judge less? What would our lives look like? Gosh, what would our Facebook news feeds look like?