This Little Light of Mine

As I’ve watched the news the past few weeks, I’ve been overwhelmed by the destruction, hate, and darkness. I’ve sat in tears reading the events unfolding in Israel, but as I scroll through my newsfeed, it’s become starkly clear the darkness isn’t contained to a warfront. It encompasses our world. I’ve found myself questioning, “God, what have we become?”

I’ve been proofreading Light Bearers the Awakening by Mindy Hite, a fiction novel, with the intention to read it to my daughter, but I’m realizing it was always meant for me. I want to share a few excerpts that keep coming back to me.

“You’re famous, Sarah, just not to anyone in your world. But to the Eklesi, your lineage is legend.” He paused, letting the truth of my ancestry rest on me. “You come from a pure line of those who are called Light Bearers. They did great things for the Light and will continue to do so through you.”

"But wouldn’t the line have been broken with my mom since she was adopted? And what is a Light Bearer? And does that mean my father was a Light Bearer too? Did they know they were Light Bearers? Is this something that chooses you or you choose it?”

As a read this, all I could think about was 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Friends, the Israelites/Israelis are God’s chosen people, BUT through Jesus we’re adopted into the family! Galatians 3:29 "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Then a few chapters later, I read this and stopped.

“The longer I’m here the more I feel the things of this world changing me and affecting me more deeply. The hate and the hurt are taking their toll.”

As I looked at him, I knew it to be true. He seemed to be pure, and our world was so tainted by evil and hate. How could he not be affected.

"I have to remember who gives me strength, power, and all of my abilities. Without The Light, I would be just like them. Wanting things only for myself and seeking everyone else’s destruction.”

In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. In Matthew 5:14 -16 he tells us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

As the darkness rages all around us, I keep hearing, “You’re a Light Bearer!

I was reminded of the Parable of the Talents this week. In Luke’s version, Jesus told us, “Occupy till I come back.” The lesson of the story is to take what he’s given us and multiply it. He’s given us each something. Each of our talents look different. They're as unique as we are. Some have more, others have less. But the question is, what are we doing with the gifts, talents, and resources he's given us?

Jesus also said in Luke 2:49, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” It’s made me question, “Am I about my father’s business? When he comes back what will he find me doing? Will he find me using my talents for him?"

As this has been ruminating in my head, God gave me something. I’d like to introduce you to our rescue pup, Fen. The shelter believes he was a stray. He definitely has some odd behaviors. He collects various items and buries them all around our yard. Apples, walnuts, bagels, gloves he found along the road, the list goes on, but his favorite collectable is dirty socks. I would go as far as to say it’s a compulsion.

As I write, he is surrounded by seven dirty socks he’s collected from various members of the family. Sometimes he “buries” them somewhere in the house. Occasionally he’ll escape outside with one. Other times he just surrounds himself with them as he naps.

And then it came to me, this reflects how we can be. We become the servant in the parable who buried his one talent. Because of our history, rejection, hurts, and pain we begin collecting our “talents,” hoarding them around us in self-preservation. We build a wall. We stop letting people in. We cover our light.

Like Fen, we can even be adopted into the family, but old habits die hard, don’t they? Friend, he wants you to give it to him, all of it. He's calling you by name. He wants to be the King of your whole heart. He loves you. There is freedom on the other side of surrender.

He made you to shine! You’re a Light Bearer!

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1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

Luke 19:12-13 “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”

This Little Light of Mine

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Won't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, NO!, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Let it shine 'til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.