Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Dear God,

"Paint the light," the mentor said to the art student.  Paint the light, I repeated to myself, paint the light.  More and more I know it is your light that charms the world, that heals and helps, guides and blesses, transforms and makes new.  Your light forces the darkness to give way.  Your light reveals and reconstructs.  Your light reconciles, reforms, and recreates.  Your light is the gift to the cosmos.

As I watched the Christmas movie I was drawn to the line, "paint the light."  I let it roll around in my head and gave it opportunity to take root inside me.  How do I paint the light in my family, in my ministry, in the world around me?  I asked.

I confess I do not always paint the light.  In fact in my darkest moments I paint darkness.  I push the light away.  I give in to darkness that robs my inner self of warmth, love, grace, joy, faith, and peace. I allow myself to be darkness.  But...you come as light anyway.  You come as a tiny ray invisible to the naked eye but powerful all the same.  You warm my insides letting me know your presence is within me.  You stir, making yourself known.  You tackle the darkness, claiming me as your own. You steal me away from the darkness proclaiming me as a daughter of faith. Your light wins me back and I fall to my knees in surrender. I remember whose I am and I let the light have its way.

As the movie rolled its credits I repeated the words one more time and I told you I wanted to spend my life painting the light through my attitude and actions, my ministry, my relationships, and my faith.  May it be so, Gracious and Loving God, may it be so.

Lead me
to your
great light,
dear God;
lead me
to your light.
Let your light
shine in
and through me.
Let it radiate
to others
so your
lights shines
more and more.
Restore in me
your light
so all darkness
will know
your light
has come.
Thank you,
thank you,
Loving God.

Always, Andrea