Shining the Light of Jesus

​There many different types of light in our world. One in particular is fast approaching and is known as the Summer Solstice. This is an astronomical event that marks the official first day of Summer. It happens when the Earth is tilted toward the sun, resulting in the longest period of daylight in the year. It is also symbolic of inner radiance and the possibility of new beginnings. These things are acts of nature. What follows are acts of God.

Ellen Taylor

​​Have you ever walked from a dark place into a very bright space? Light has an incredible power over our senses, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. But light is necessary for us to live, and it illuminates the world.
 
In Matthew 5, Jesus uses light as a metaphor several times to describe the life of a disciple. He says His disciples are like a town built on a hill that shines light into the valley (Matthew 5:14). He also says that we are like a lamp that gives light to the whole house (Matthew 5:15).
 
The life of a disciple of Jesus is meant to be like that of a light that shines brightly for others to see. So, what is the light that we have? It is the message of the Gospel. We‘ve been given knowledge of what Jesus has done for us, and it’s that knowledge that changes everything for us. We now have a new life because of Jesus.
 
If you want to be a light in a dark world, remember this: the most illuminating act of all is loving people like Jesus. We are a city on a hill, a lamp shining into a whole house. The darkness around us may seem overwhelming, but the love we show, because of the light within us, illuminates everything.
 
I want to be the person who chooses to share the light of Jesus with others, especially when they are hurting, confused, and are reaching out for some answers, no matter their faith history. Fortunately, I had just such an opportunity a few weeks ago. My youngest son, Spencer, and his wife, Jordan, live with me. Some of you may recall Spencer brought home a black Labrador puppy in December. Life with Cooper has been a challenge, to put it mildly. He has turned into a 75-pound ball of energy. Everything was going well until a month ago, when the kids took him to Hayden Lake for a swim. He found a log on the beach and immediately jumped up on it and began running back and forth. Ever a puppy who only has one speed (70 MPH), he slipped and got his hind leg caught on a branch. It was immediately apparent that he was badly injured. He was pitifully crying in pain. Amazingly, there was a local vet at the beach, and she immediately checked him out and felt that he might have broken his leg. She had them follow her to the office, and x-rays did confirm that there was damage to the growth plate and tendon damage to his right leg. He was sent home with pain meds and instructions to keep him off his leg continually for 3 weeks. That was definitely a challenge for all of us. He had to be carried up and downstairs, kept in a pen at all times, and sadly, even with the medications, he cried pitifully for 2 weeks. This situation was hardest on Spencer. We tried to help him, but this was his pup, and he was up most nights. On a particularly bad night, I came downstairs to see if I could help. He was sitting there quietly, obviously exhausted. He looked at me for a few minutes and then said, “Mother, I need you to pray with me for Cooper. I need God’s help”. My boys were both raised to love God and are believers, but don't attend church. His request surprised me, but I was so glad he reached out to me. We prayed for healing for Cooper and we prayed for patience, faith, and strength for Spencer. I let him know how much his reaching out to me meant. I truly felt as though I was showing the light of Jesus to him. The next day, there was a significant improvement in Cooper’s pain, and I think we both knew in our hearts that God had something to do with this.

​John 8:12
Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ”I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

​Blessings, Ellen