Light up the New Year!

 

A light at the end of the tunnel. As we welcome a new year, is there a light at the end of the tunnel? To say it has been a strange year would be a gross understatement. We are all hoping and praying that 2021 will be better. But will it? Yes, we will still be dealing with Covid-19, but what else can we do?

I once read that you can see the light of a candle the length of a football field away. That’s pretty amazing if you think about it. A football field is approximately 120 yards long and a candle flame is maybe an inch high. How is it possible to see that dot of light from such a distance? Well, first, we have to be looking for it. Recently I went out to view the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the night sky. Had I not been looking for it, I would have missed it completely. It was the same with a comet earlier this year. It was there, but it looked like a smudge on my glasses. But because I was persistent, I saw it. We have to seek the light. It’s always there, but there are times we have to search long and hard to see it.

Earlier this morning, I went out to check the mail. We live in the flight path to the Boise airport so see the planes as they getting ready to land. They are low as they pass over the house. Yet, on this morning, I couldn’t see the plane for the fog. But I knew it was there. Even though I couldn’t see it, I could hear it. Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

It feels like life is without light right now. People are sick, dying, out of jobs, loosing their businesses, scared and lonely. It appears to be a dark time. And yet, somewhere there is a candle burning. I have to look for it, and when I find it I have to feed the flame. Every candle will eventually go out if we don’t add fuel to keep it going. The size of the fire depends on how much fuel we add to that sputtering little flame. The bigger the fire, the more light there is. I don’t see many lighthouses guiding our way right now. But I do see a thousand little candles flickering in neighborhoods, communities, hospitals and schools. What can we do to feed those flames?

It is “the” question for the New Year. Are we willing to sit in the dark and bemoan our situation, or are we willing to get up and chop some wood to keep the fire burning? Are you at a loss as to what you can do? To begin with, I would suggest you look for the light. It can be found within your family, your work place, your church or your neighborhood. Whether you have a toothpick or a cord of wood to add to the flame, do it! Every little bit helps!

Where there is light, there can be no darkness. Even if the light is as faint as a candle at the end of a football field, there is still light. We only need the faintest light to ensure solid footing as we walk this path of life. Be that light for someone else in your life. Pass your light along to those who need it. Fill their buckets with tinder to start a new fire. Be creative, innovative, passionate and show the world that we all can make a difference!

Happy New Year! May all of your days be filled with the Light of the World! For in Jesus, there is no darkness! 

Just Writin' on the River Road