I feel spring on the horizon, well… a few days ago I did; today it feels more like winter again in the State of West Virginia. A little sunshine goes a long way for the psyche. The warmth and light have caused the dead seedlings that I planted a few weeks ago to spring forth into green stems that will flower a little further down the road, and it all serves to stir my soul! Winter is hard on me emotionally. The dismal gray forest depresses me and the cold aches my arthritic bones and I feel old (ish). I’m not giving in yet! Our environment can drag us down or lift us up for sure!

While reading Luke 11 this morning my distractions were intense! Emails, phone calls, tasks at hand that needed done, laundry, dishes, etc. etc., you no doubt can identify! My environment is not always suitable for creativity. It’s not that anything was bad or wrong, it was just counter productive. I felt like I would take two steps and then slide back three. But when I determined that I was going to write it out… meaning that this scripture is on my heart and I need to unpack it, the distractions stopped and the stage was set for God to show me what I’d be taking on the journey of today.

Luke 11:33-36

³³ No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

Those words cause my heart to sing “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, this little light of mine…” Oh yeah… How awesome it is to be a child of God who is privileged to live in a country that we can still let our little light shine, even if it’s unappreciated by the world around us. But God said “Shine it anyway!!!” If the world doesn’t see it, it’s because they choose not to, but when you shine your little light you can’t help but illuminate yourself as well. If you’re not shining the light of Jesus then your life is filled with darkness, outward and inwardly and nobody needs that! Take heed…

³⁴ The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

³⁵ Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

³⁶ If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

So for this time…I determined in my heart I was going to turn off the darkness. That’s an odd thought, is it not? Turning on or off a light makes sense, but the thought of turning off the dark takes a little more to process. But it was an easily understood concept for me when I realized that the things that had my attention were causing me stress, taking my mind to a place of unrest and God wasn’t in that, it was dark. So when I opened up God’s word and began to unpack these verses I realized that filling my mind’s eye with the Word of God, thoughts of the ministry, God’s goodness and purpose for my day, suddenly that switch to the darkness was turned off, and the light was turned on!

When the world denies Christ, they choose to let the dark stay on. Because the Word of God is a light and it shines brightly to illuminate even the darkest of places if someone is willing to listen. With spring comes sunshine and colors springing forth from the muddy ground that messes my floors but it’s okay because I know that the outside is soon to be enjoyed and not annoyed. The lost have yet to figure it out. But if we keep our light shining, without negativity and judgmental attitudes, hopefully they’ll see and desire to let the light of God shine within them too!

Let your little shine!!!

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