Did any of you lose your power with the recent hurricane?
I know many people in The Villages did. They spent several days without air conditioning, they lost the food in their refrigerators, had to get around the house by flashlight.
Well, we all know that when the lights are out how difficult it is to find our way around in the in dark. We cannot see a thing, and maybe it’s so dark that we are not able to even feel our way around to find our flash lights, candles, matches, or whatever we need. How many times during a power outage have you gone into a room, and out of habit, flipped the light switch? So it's a bad situation to be in -- DARKNESS. We need LIGHT!
Sometimes when the power comes back on, the light shines on things we don’t want to see – the furniture needs dusting, the floor needs cleaning, but we need the LIGHT.
In today’s world, it seems there is so much darkness. Drugs, crime, and violence make up the majority of the evening news. Bomb scares, death threats, brutality and destruction can be found in every newspaper. With so much darkness in the world, where can people go for a source of light?
I believe that it takes each and every one of US to personally rise up and carry our light into the darkness around us. Instead of being overwhelmed by the evil in the world, we need to bring our light to the hurting people around us.
How can we bring light to our world, you ask? Get to know your neighbors, treat them with kindness and respect. Consider other people's needs and help meet them, whether it’s by giving your leftover hurricane items to the food pantry or driving someone to their doctor’s appointment. Encourage people instead of criticizing. Be more patient. Let someone else ahead of you in the checkout line. Give others the benefit of the doubt – they may be suffering from an illness, or be having a really rough day. Share with others how God has helped you in your own life. Wherever you go, look people in the eyes and SMILE! It seems so simple but a smile can bring light into a person’s life quicker than anything else you can do.
We need to realize that this world is dark with sin and people need us to shine. People need hope, and we can give that to them if we just live as a shining example of Christ. “Hold up your light so that it may shine unto the world.”