Light is a beautiful thing; not only does it bring beauty to everything it touches, it is beautiful in and of itself.
It ushers in every day, washing the dawn with the fresh mercies of God. And in the long days of an Indian summer it's fading light warms the world with its tender touch.
I go to work each day, sometimes eagerly,
sometimes reluctantly,
sometimes with determination and purpose,
sometimes with drudgery dogging my steps, but I go always looking for light.
In particular, I look for the light that is mine alone. A gift from Him who is thinking of me in every moment. I have been the recipient of illumination that has been created only for me. I know this because some things that I have been shown in moments have been so personal as to only be for me. Not that I am any more special than anyone else; I don't put myself up on a pedestal. I don't stand on a stage, I don't yearn for the treacherous light of public adoration, but I understand that the Lord throws light on my path so I can know where to place my steps. I know this specific individual light is available to every person, and it's unique application is not diminished by its universal availability, but the light He gives me is not seen by anyone else.
Sometimes light comes in the strangest places; when my hands are covered in the refuse of humanity's existence; when a co-worker is venting over a perceived injustice; particularly when I am engrossed in a task - suddenly the penny drops.
Much of my work is conducted in tight spaces, dim corners, under buildings, in muddy trenches, in rain, in heat, in awkward positions, in drudgery, in discomfort - it is at these times that light often comes.
Light is particularly beautiful in the times when offence has been hard to resist, and the Lord is merciful to me and reminds me that I am capable of being offensive too. And there are times when light is so abundant that I am dazzled by its liberality and I am amazed at how I missed such obvious knowledge.
I am not a wealthy man but there are days when the light has been so lavish that I luxuriate in its glow. The gift of light is such a broad endowment that I cannot specifically remember every happenstance. Yet, I remember some divine sanctions with such clarity that I am more certain of their veracity than I am of the law of physics.
I'm never going to be a lightning rod for popular opinion, I'm not going to grace the cover of any magazine. There is nothing you can read into my preference for wines heavy with tannin or my deep appreciation for prog rock. I give no thought to wishing everyone approved of my preferences. But, I do think about how I may, in my own way, bring a little of this light to others. It will be without fanfare, often without witness except for the recipient, without benefit to me, without my knowing even.
My likes and dislikes do not form a commentary on the veracity of my faith. But one thing I know with the certainty of a rising sun, the effectiveness of my conduct as a man living among men is how my behaviour is informed and directed by light.
And so I go out, each day, looking for light.
MDC 20/04/2021
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