Yesterday afternoon, we went and picked up some fireworks to do with the boys last night as part of our family’s celebration of our nation’s independence. We don’t ever spend a lot on fireworks… just some sparklers and Roman candles, maybe several fountains and one or two things that shoot in in the sky and go “BOOM!”
So, last night, we waited till it was as close to dark as we could stand, and then we went out in the driveway to celebrate. The moon peeked out over the treetops. Others in our heavily wooded subdivision were already lighting up the night sky with flashes of light and color. Even the fireflies were getting in on the celebration.
We had a blast… yes, that pun was intended… lighting up our little area of the world. It was so much fun watching the boys, sparklers beaming, running around like Mario with a superstar power-up. We all ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the one firework that crackled and popped little blasts of light and sound far longer than any of us expected.
And part-way through our celebration, I noticed something. None of us were watching the darkness around us. Not one of us. No one said, “Wow, there sure is a lot of darkness out here tonight.” Everyone was focused completely and entirely on the lights being displayed in front of us.
And my guess is that it was the same everywhere fireworks were shot last night. I’ve already seen videos on social media with people lighting a fuse and stepping back quickly. Guess what? No one capturing that video focused on the darkness. Instead they kept the camera directed at where the small sparkle of a fuse suddenly turned into a shower of sparks lighting up the entire area.
In darkness, people look to light. They focus on it. And as soon as they see light, they forget about how much darkness there is around them.
We were designed to be light in the darkness of the lives of those around us. For Christians, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world- like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.” We have the opportunity to calm fears and warm hearts by bringing light into people’s dark life situations.
Darkness can’t stop light. So wherever you go today, shine. Just because the sun is shining in the physical doesn’t mean that people aren’t living in darkness. Show up and shine. They will immediately focus on the light you bring and want more of what you have.
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Never looked at it this way. But we believe you should live in the light of Jesus.
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