Godly Nightlights

I must admit when I got home tonight, I needed to figure out where I was on the spiritual radar. I needed an air-traffic controller to tell me where I was in relation to God. I don't mean that I was far away from him. It felt like he was so close, yet I couldn't find my next direction no matter how hard I tried. If he were telling me to head north, I couldn't tell if I was headed south. If he wanted move up, I was heading down. If he was pointing to the left, I was heading right. I was near him, but I just couldn't hear him concerning my direction and the path I need to take right now.

For whatever reason, I felt drawn to take a walk. I grabbed my mp3 player and did the normal search for my ear buds only to find that my son had "accidentally" forgotten to tell me they were now broken (kitty cat got 'em). I still felt so compelled to go that I grabbed the next best thing. I grabbed my headphones and microphone for my laptop. Yes...I went for a walk wearing a regular miked up headset. It was kind of funny, but it did work.

By the time I got out the door, it was very dark. As I started walking, I found myself drawn to the wondrous and majestic Kansas sky. The stars were so bright and there was nothing to drown out the view as my feet pounded the sidewalk. Soon though, I found myself leary of the dark. There were big trees along the side walks which meant spider webs. In order to alleviate those fears and not break my neck, I decided the street would be spider and crack free. In addition to spiders, I was worried about the cracks. Our side walks in town are so horrible, and at night you can't see the unevenness and the cracks no matter how hard you try. I figured the streets would be more level, and I could avoid having to explain to people that I broke an ankle by walking down the sidewalk in the dark.

The longer I walked the more focused I became on the Christian music lyrics and how they seemed to speak to me about God. Who he is, who I am, and how much I love Him! His love excites me! Just knowing who He is is indescribable. Spending time with Him is peaceful, joyful, and it filled me with a sense of awe! It's really more than what I am capable of describing really. I felt the longer I walked the more lost in Him I became. The world seemed to disappear in some aspects. The homes along the streets didn't capture my attention. The trees didn't matter. The cars passing by could have easily run over me, and I would've not really cared!

My focus was not on what was going on around me. At this point in time, I was truly focused on what God was doing within me. God was lighting my internal fire-that all consuming passion for Him. It was like walking right in line with my Creator, the God of the Universe! It was phenominal and wonderous, and just inspiring!

Soon, the song, Shine by After The Chase started playing on my mp3 player and carried my walk one step further.

Here's a glimpse at the lyrics:

When I feel like giving up
When I feel like letting go
When I know my heart is
Is blacker than the night
I know You don’t give up
And I know You don’t let go
And I know Your heart is
Is brighter than the sun

Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
You are the sun to me
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
You shine Your light on me

My eyes they led me to a place
Where I felt so far from grace
And I wore a weight of
Of guilt and darkness there
I know You don’t give up
And I know You don’t let go
And I know Your heart is
Is brighter than the sun

Come and shine Your light on me
I need Your light to be
Brighter than the dark that
Sets me apart from You

I’m sorry Lord for how it’s been
All about me
All about me
How I let the days slip on

Entertaining me but You’re waking me

As I walked, I replayed this song several times. I thought about how at any moment on the dark streets, there could have been someone ready to jump out from behind the cars parked along the sides. It was dark and with thoughts like this, it was scary to be a woman walking in the dark alone. However, I got a little relief from that dark when I walked past a street light. In that little bit of light, it didn't seem as scary! I noticed each light. I started thinking about the light and hoped that I'd come across another one soon.

It became about the light. Come and shine your light on me. I can see the light now. And as you read this, you might want to replace the word light with the word HOPE. Because of the light, I can see the hope now. I have been completely blessed to see light (hope). And now by living my life as God has called me to, by living my life to be more Christ-focused, I can shine in the dark so others may begin to see the light, which is Christ. Hope is in Christ.

If we Christians are shining, because of the light we have been given, and we are in fact casting light in the dark, we must go INTO the dark where the light can be seen.

If we merely take the light that we have been given and keep it on in the safe areas-areas of light...

inside the safety of our church walls,
inside the safety of our own homes,
only in the parts of town considered by most as safe

We are not creating more light or helping people find their way out of the darkness. Light can create more light. Hope can create more hope. Your light can light the way for another. And their light can light the way for another. And another. And another. And all that light leads to hope. And hope is Christ. And Christ leads us to our Creator.

Light in the darkness leads us to light because we can see it.

Light in the light is hard to see. And those who need hope, those who need the light are looking for someone willing to take the light into the scary parts of this dark world. If we don't go, who will? Darkness will keep darkness to avoid exposing what it really is.

Dark conceals pain.
Dark conceals suffering.
Dark conceals wrong.
Dark conceals sin.
Dark conceals hope.

As Christians, if we live our lives outwardly and take the light (hope) we have been given out and into the dark and remote places of our communities, the scary places we'd rather not go, and the places we stay away from, we could begin to change the dark into the light. But if we keep our light in the light, the dark will never become light, because they can't witness what the light really is. Light creates hope. Light reveals flaws. Light exposes sin and begins to transform lives. The light exposes the truth.

As Christians, churches, and communities, we should be lighting the world by using our light to find those without and share the light with them.

It's time for our light to shine where those in the dark can see it. If we are truly plugged in to the Creator, we should certainly let him use us as His nightlights as he reaches His people in all dark corners of the world and every dim place in between.