Monday, January 14, 2013

Dear God,

What is better than light?  What else can warm the soul, tend to the needs of the heart, and reveal life's many wonderful paths to the future?  What is better than the light?

As I live with a daily awareness of your living presence, I notice things I did not really see before in the same way.  Yesterday in an A-frame cabin in the woods, I started a fire in the black pot-bellied stove in the middle of the room.  It took a long time before it finally took off.  My friend and I had to keep feeding the fire in order for it to get hot enough to really burn.  Once burning it glowed in colors of yellow, orange, pink, and blue.  Soon the room warmed up and it was cozy just watching it.

This morning as I rose early and came downstairs, the first thing I did was light a candle to illuminate the room.  As I sat down to write I noticed the reflection of the light in the window.  Although the room was cold because I needed to start a fire, I was warmed thinking about the light in my life, your light to be sure.

Like the wood in the pot-bellied stove, it took me decades before I was finally caught by your flame.  I too had false starts and fizzled out.  I would begin to burn with your love but because I didn't feed myself with the light I would soon become a short-lived teeny burning ember.  But then I began to be fed by others whose light shone brightly, those who cast part of their light upon me.  I started leaning toward things that could regularly keep the light before me like prayer, silence, sacred music, nature, worship, and reading scripture and other materials that kept and keep the light on.  Even though I do not have a full supply of resources to keep the light constantly burning I know where to go and how to get what I need.  I also know how to help light the fire in other persons' lives.

Nothing has the power of your light...nothing!

Thank you,
Gracious God,
for the light
of your presence.
Thank you
for love
that sustains life.
Thank you
for hope
that keeps possibilities
before us.
Thank you
for faith
that opens doors.

Love, Andrea