Sonshine

It was one of those absolutely gorgeous winter days: bitterly cold, but with a brilliant sun shining out of a cloudless, powder blue sky that went up forever. It made me smile as I heard the hymn "Immortal, invisible, God only wise" by Walter Chalmers Smith playing and singing inside my head. Only God could make such a beautiful sight; yet only that morning, the pogonip or ice fog was so thick that the traffic light 500 feet from my school crossing was barely visible through the gloom. If I had a hard time observing the light, what about the drivers? I offered up a quick prayer for the safety of drivers and walkers alike.

In that foggy morning, another of my favourite Bible passages came to my mind: 1 Corinthians 13:12a: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face" (RSV) or as I memorized it in the King James Version, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face". Isn't it true, I thought, that just as drivers on a foggy day have their vision clouded, so, too, in the hustle and bustle of our daily chores, we may find our vision of God blocked. Oh yes, He is still there waiting for us to acknowledge Him, but we are blinded by our own busyness. Isn't it true, I thought, as I stopped to thank Him for the day, that it takes a spectacular sight or event to focus our eyes and minds on God. So, as I gazed up, up, up, into that beautiful, clear, cold, blue sky, I began to sing,

All laud we would render: O help us to see
'Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

Twice, in John 8:12 and John 9:5, Jesus stated, "I am the light of the world." (RSV) When we strive to be more Christ-like in our daily lives, we are bringing some of the light of God into this world. As we walk in and share this light with others, it lets us all enjoy the Sonshine. In the hymn by Richard Gillard, we can see the Sonshine recorded in the verses as follows:

Brother, sister, let me serve you;
Let me be as Christ to you …
We are pilgrims on a journey,
And companions on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to come out of the darkness and bring the light of God into this world. Grant us courage and determination to act and speak of godly things in Your name. Inspire us into action to challenge the darkness of this world. As we follow Your example and take action, may we all enjoy the Sonshine. Amen.