Shine a Little Brighter
I recently read a news article that enlightened me about our present situation. The situation itself is dire and has immediate consequences for our existence… worse yet, there is very little we can do about it. We must accept our fate and find a way to live with our new reality. The terrible news: “Washington State loses approximately three minutes of daylight every day in October!” That’s three minutes a day, 21 minutes a week, and over 1 ½ hour a month! As tragic as this is, it is predictable, and we can prepare ourselves mentally by adjusting our schedules and turning on a few more lights. Although we love our sunshine, we know that winter is coming, yet this shift is only temporary; it is all a part of our earthly existence.
Most of the time, we do well with this transition, but one side effect I did not account for was for our son Cooper. Cooper has developed a fear of the dark, which is not insurmountable, but he is more cautious in the twilight hours. However, he refused to come out of his room this last week until the lights were on. Our boys wake up early, usually before 6:30 AM, and this past week Cooper began calling out to me from the doorway of his room because the house was too dark. He was unwilling to set foot into the darkened place. Darkness is intimidating; we conjure up monsters and perils, unsure of what lurks in the shadows. And for a three-year-old boy, it was paralyzing, and he needed some reassurance that he could safely exit the room.
We, too, can let the darkness paralyze us. The ugliness in the world, the insecurity and impermanence of life, and the opposition to the Light can freeze us. It is almost too much to bear. We would much rather stay secluded in our rooms, afraid to venture into the world. We prefer to remain in our cozy, well-lit room than face the perils of the world around us. However, there is a problem with that mentality, as Jesus informs us.
Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
We are the difference makers in the world. We are the vessels that light is supposed to shine. And if we are not there to shine our lights, the darkness will consume everything around us. It certainly would be easier to hide away in our corner of the world, but the world needs us to shine out into the darkness. And when we do become afraid, let’s remember the words of the apostle Paul:
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
We are the light. We can’t be afraid of the dark. We can’t be timid about confronting the world around us. Even though it might be intimidating to speak the truth of God into people’s lives or share the Good News with them, we still need to shine that light. We need to be a city set on a hill, unable to be hidden, full of power, love, and discipline. Unwavering and steadfast in a world that needs light. It may seem like Washington in October, and we are losing 3 minutes of daylight a day, but that is when we shine a little brighter and keep the darkness away. Shine a little brighter so that those who might be afraid to leave their rooms are able to make it through the colder, darker months.