“You are like light for the whole world." ~ Matthew
5:14
A photo essay sprawled the
opposite wall, each snapshot depicting lake scenery: stunning sunscapes, brilliant
waterfowl and floral bouquets, idyllic cloud formations. A small flat screen TV hung in one corner
showing mind-numbing commercials. She
was too anxious to read any of the dozen or so paperback books she’d brought on
vacation. Tapping her foot impatiently, her
eyes never left the window.
Suddenly there was a quick flicker and crackle of light, too
fast for the naked eye. Dana stole past
her Mom who was asleep in front of the television and on bare tiptoes she left
the cabin, her nightgown flapping in the breeze. This is what she’d waited for.
As her eyes adjusted to utter blackness the soft warm glow
of a single firefly sliced through the darkness with its sugary light. It softly buzzed through the blackened air
illuminating the sky. Then came a
second, and a third. Soon hundreds
danced as if charmed by the flute of a great magician.
Dana danced among them as if she were inside an ornate Christmas
tree. Twirling faster and faster, she savored
the last beauty she'd see until dawn.
The never failed to appear at this time during the summer. Despite the desperation of this moonless
night, she appreciated the darkness. Without
it, who could enjoy the fireflies’ glow?
Its calming presence lets her soul run free. Her worries silently burned into smoke as the
specks of light began to dim; their mating dance of light and love complete for
another night.
They never failed to amaze her; always making her world a
little brighter. As Dana made her way
back toward the cabin, she thanked God for creating such delightful creatures;
little “blinkers” that shined their own light to make the gloomy meadows look
like the starry skies above.
She recalled something Robert Fulghum once wrote. “I’m
not the source of light but I can reflect light into the darkest places
of this world; into the wickedest places in the hearts of men.”
Lightning bugs inspire Dana to want to share her own light,
even if it isn’t that bright and tends to blink now and then. She doesn’t know how much light she’s
absorbed over the years, but Dana won’t keep it hidden under a basket. She will shine it; she’ll share it. She’ll use it to bring as much goodness, love,
joy, and wisdom into this world as she possibly can.
May you always shine your light as brightly as you
can. May you always share it with others
as well. Remember too that God doesn’t
ask you to illuminate the entire planet. He just wants us to make our little corner of
it a bit brighter.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the
world.” In joy, in sorrow, in our
certainty, in our searching, in this moment right now … light. So teach us what that might mean for each of
us, O God; for who we are; and how we live: and how we pray. Amen
