The Light of Life

For at one time you were darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light.

~ Ephesians 5:8 ~

Last evening, as my daughter walked ahead of me, she spotted one of the most treasured of summertime creatures... a lightening bug.  She called out, "Did you see that, Mom?  The lightening bugs are out tonight!"  Just like that, her walking turned into bouts of chaotic running, jumping and diving... until, yes, she'd captured one!  She carefully cupped her hands the way children do, and brought him over for me to see.  "Let's take him inside for awhile... please?"  It was a beautiful time of day, glowing dusk after a day of welcomed rains, but on mugginess I happily closed the door.

My daughter wanted to draw, and so put down her little treasure... and soon discovered, "Mom, I think he's got a hurt wing.  He's not flying very well."  In fact, he fell off the bench where he was roaming, onto the carpet because of lost footing.  No harm done.  She found a potholder with an open pocket, and placed him inside.  "I just want to keep him safe."  She started drawing away, but every few minutes she'd check inside her potholder to make sure everything was as she'd last left it.

Daddy and brother soon walked through the door, and before long it was getting to be bedtime.  My little girl came to me, with her delicate treasure once again blinking in cupped hands.  "Mom, would you please let my lightening bug go?  I don't want to keep him from his friends."  She ran upstairs smiling, ready to be tucked in for the night.

As I stood in the doorway and opened my hands, I watched as the little bug walked to the tip of my finger, and flew off...

This morning as I was on the verge of waking up, a song from childhood entered my thoughts.  "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine... This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."  There are a few other verses to the song, but this is what I remembered next: "Hide it under a bushel?  No!  I'm gonna let it shine..."

I opened my eyes and thought about how selfish it would've been to keep the little lightening bug inside (in a potholder no less!).  It wouldn't have been able to share it's light with the world, as it was created to do.

 

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying,

“I am the light of the world.  Whoever 

follows me will not walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life."

~ John 8:12 ~

Once we discover the light of the world, we receive our most precious gift.  I pray for opportunities to share it with others... because I believe it's something we all were created to do.  After all... who wouldn't love to enjoy the light of life? 

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness,

to pull another hand into the light."

~ Norman B. Rice ~