A tiny flash of light! Did I really see it as I walked by the vanity on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night?
I came back, and from that angle, yes! I saw a speck of bright light in the darkness. It came from the side of my fanny pack purse. Shocked, I picked up the purse and retreated back to the bathroom so I could turn on that light without awakening my husband.
The culprit was the very small flashlight I carried in the zippered side pocket. When I removed it from the purse it lit up the entire bathroom.
Aaaaaaack. How long had it been on? I fumbled with the miniature trouble-maker’s switch and got it turned off.
In the morning my husband tested the tiny battery and it had a high reading; it would be good for a long time. He was surprised, too.
Sometimes in the dark we can’t see anything, but there are glow-in-the-dark objects, the barest of light coming through the curtains at the window, the faint bluish night light in the hallway. Only once had I experienced total darkness, and that was during a guided tour of the Carlsbad Caverns, an experience of unforgettable, momentary shock.
The world seems like it’s running on low battery power these days. Lots of things are dark, and that suits some politicians, greedy businessmen, angry mobs, thieves.
We do need light, and when we read the Bible we can find truths that can brighten our lives. Becoming enlightened is a challenge, but we do well to seek the light of truth and then determine to follow the light so we don’t stumble and fall, or don’t lead others astray by our example.
The power we need comes from an amazing source of astounding complexity, we need to open our hearts to the Creator of all these universes. Of course, we do not know all about everything. But He made everything. He gives us free choice of what to do with our life. He exclaims His love over us, but will we come to Him in prayer, surrendering our incompleteness, our muddled thinking, our careless speaking and disturbing behavior? Jesus did declare He was “the light of the world. No man comes to the Father, but by Me.”
“I can’t even imagine a Being who made everything, who expects me to believe that Bible,” griped neighbor Genie.
“All the more reason to give it serious consideration,” was my reply. “You didn’t make those stars and planets up there, and you don’t know much about them. How could everything be so simple that you could understand!” With a smile I added, “Use your logic as far as it goes, then take that step of faith. Ta-da! The light comes on.”
So, that’s my concern. That unexpected flash of light caught my attention. Other happenings can catch our attention.
Not just a tiny glimpse now and then. Not an imaginary story. Light: the truth about life and death, now and hereafter. It’s what we need, that’s how we are made. To seek and to find. To ponder, to decide, then to celebrate.
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by Elaine Hardt ©2014
