My husband is very serious about having a dark sleeping space. In our bedroom, we have wooden blinds inset in the window and allegedly light-proof curtains over it, which were then lined in blackout curtain material by yours truly. When you walk into our bedroom after lights out – it’s BLACK.
But yet… after enough time to adjust, you notice the light coming in around the edges of the curtain and over the top. There’s enough light moving around that you can tell when the security light out front is triggered – and enough light even at midnight to be visible.
First thing in the morning, if the curtain isn’t perfectly aligned, a ray of sunshine will work its way through that blockade and hit the armoire next to my head, and I’ll be able to see the dust motes dancing in the light.
Through blinds, curtains, and curtain-liner – the light finds its way. And the smallest bit of light stands out against the darkness.
We are living in dark times. So many of our sibs in the faith seem to think that the thing to do is to fade into the background and not shine. But that’s the opposite of what we should be doing. We’re supposed to shine harder because of the darkness.
It’s true. Not all of us are as shiny as we ought to be – but great news, guys! We’re not competing against an array of spotlights. And as we allow ourselves to function as the lights that we are, we’ll grow brighter.
Shine on, folks – your efforts are meaningful, they are needed, and you DO make a difference.
Hands, Heart, Hearth 