My son and I were on our way back home from the Arizona Western College Faculty Recital, and we took a short detour through a residential area to see what holiday lights the houses were displaying. We saw small LED blue lights, multi colored big bulb light strings, and white icicle type strings of lights along with many other varieties. I’m a little bit behind on putting my lights up at this point, but I sure do appreciate the efforts of others who are lighting up Yuma one residence at a time. I like these outside lights, but when I think about lights I often get drawn to thinking about how light is so helpful when it is doing its job in our physical and spiritual lives. Here’s a short string of reflections about light.
Light provides nourishment. Our plant life gives us food and oxygen because of light. Our rest cycles are influenced by light as well. Divine Scripture is also likened to light because of the daily direction and nourishment it can bring to the reader.
Light provides guidance. We depend upon light to help us move about in our warm comfortable homes or out on the roads. Also the Sun and the North Star give us some basic directions locally on what point of the compass we might be heading day or night. Spiritually, God gives us light’s guidance in God’s divine calling for us and in answered prayers.
Light provides warmth. Back when I was kid we had to be careful with our colored tree light bulbs because they did heat up quite a bit. And safety is still important during the holidays because some of our favorite lights at this time of year still heat up, like a nice fire in the wood burning stove. But the light and warmth of shared love in family togetherness and generosity to the needy is also a wonderful part of what the holidays are about.
I think these three thoughts about light are just a beginning. Many more characteristics of light can be named quite readily. In fact, to name how light helps us in detail can be very useful. And looking at holiday lights at night from the car can make us cheerful. But I hope we can also enjoy the effects of light on our spirits that can do us an eternity of good.
My son and I were on our way back home from the Arizona Western College Faculty Recital, and we took a short detour through a residential area to see what holiday lights the houses were displaying. We saw small LED blue lights, multi colored big bulb light strings, and white icicle type strings of lights along with many other varieties. I’m a little bit behind on putting my lights up at this point, but I sure do appreciate the efforts of others who are lighting up Yuma one residence at a time. I like these outside lights, but when I think about lights I often get drawn to thinking about how light is so helpful when it is doing its job in our physical and spiritual lives. Here’s a short string of reflections about light.
Light provides nourishment. Our plant life gives us food and oxygen because of light. Our rest cycles are influenced by light as well. Divine Scripture is also likened to light because of the daily direction and nourishment it can bring to the reader.
Light provides guidance. We depend upon light to help us move about in our warm comfortable homes or out on the roads. Also the Sun and the North Star give us some basic directions locally on what point of the compass we might be heading day or night. Spiritually, God gives us light’s guidance in God’s divine calling for us and in answered prayers.
Light provides warmth. Back when I was kid we had to be careful with our colored tree light bulbs because they did heat up quite a bit. And safety is still important during the holidays because some of our favorite lights at this time of year still heat up, like a nice fire in the wood burning stove. But the light and warmth of shared love in family togetherness and generosity to the needy is also a wonderful part of what the holidays are about.
I think these three thoughts about light are just a beginning. Many more characteristics of light can be named quite readily. In fact, to name how light helps us in detail can be very useful. And looking at holiday lights at night from the car can make us cheerful. But I hope we can also enjoy the effects of light on our spirits that can do us an eternity of good.