Shining

You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place . . . 

 - From 2 Peter

When you're in a dark place, a light is like food to the hungry. If you ever wake up in the middle of the night, with a troubled heart, you yearn to put a light on. You might even turn on every light on the house. Maybe put the TV on, get something to eat. You might act as though it's mid-day, to give yourself the sense that things are normal in the world. It takes light to do that. 

This is what makes campfires so mesmerizing. They stand out in the middle of a darkened wooded area. You gather around it with your friends, and it lights up everyone's faces with a yellowy glow. It evokes something like the sense of Moses' shiny face, when he came down the mountain, from talking to God. 

It is easy to be drawn to a light in the dark. It's very clear to our spirits: when darkness is all around you, you're drawn to a light. Your face emits light. Without us even knowing it, this feature of our bodies gives us some help if we get separated from each other, in the dark. Listen, focus, be still - - - and you might find yourself drawn to others, visually, based only on the mostly imperceptible glow from their faces. (Now, if you don't be afraid. If you find cheerfulness, if you can smile . . . it might make the glow even more brilliant, enough so that it does visually help others trying to find you).

Put on a happy face: Let your light shine. Have faith. Smile . . . even when you don't want to. And soon, the smile itself will be sincere and authentic. 

Focus on the words of the Lord. Focus like you do, when you're in a dark place, and someone flicks on a light. Because . . . that's exactly what's going on.