Leaning To The Light

John 3:21 – But those who do what is true come to the light. (NRSV)

John 8:12 – Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (NRSV)

I am a frustrated gardener! The winter winds not only send shivers and chills through my parka, but the drifting four-letter white stuff covers everything, especially my garden. Thus I have learned to make the most of the snowy season by turning my attention upon my myriad house plants.

Because I am blessed with wonderful windows with a southern exposure, I can fill the windowsills to overflowing with my plants. Two of these I find particularly satisfying to grow. My double-blossomed, fuscia-coloured Christmas cactus is radiant in December, but throughout the winter, my begonias (which I rescued from the garden before the first frost) bloom with amazing abandon. As they lean toward the sunlight streaming through my sunny windows, they seem to thrive.

Likewise, I've also noticed that when we lean toward the "light" streaming into our life from the "Sonlight" of God's Word, then we seem to thrive ever so much better. We are like plants, in that we need the "light" of Christ in our daily living in order to flourish, bloom and "green up" the spaces and people around us. As God's Word sends rays of warming light into our soul, then we bloom into the person God intends us to be, and we are able to share in word and deed those wonderfully tangible expressions of the love of God in Christ Jesus with the people around us.

Prayer: Light of life, we come to you asking you to flood our souls with the "Sonlight" of your love so that we may, in turn, tangibly express your love to others. For we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.