The ranch house in which I live was completed in 1923 by my Great Grandfather. Five generations of our family members have lived in this beautiful home. It was wired for electricity, but electricity wasn’t hung out in the Union Area until three years later. Imagine living in a home for 3 years that had light switches on the walls but no power. Imagine the anticipation then the celebration when those switches worked.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

We want anticipation and celebration of the light coming on in our homes and lives and hearts. We want to be hooked in to the power source. We want the light the life offers. This is not a “how to” exercise but a discovery of “who” the Light is for you and for me.

The power source does not come from within. It isn’t something we work at or well up enough energy to be light. Christ’s word and work, the light and life of the world stepped into time to shine into darkness. There were two responses to the Light, to the Word made flesh – people rejected the Light and their darkness became darker, or people received the Light and let him turn them on to his gifts.

The power source that doesn’t come from within lives within us – that is the proclamation the Light makes – I will be with you and I will dwell IN you. When the Light shines on us and in us and through us we cannot control the light, which is a significant problem. We want to control where it shines and when it shines. The Light is not IT! IT! gets in the way of the Light. IT! is the stuff we want to hide from the Light. IT! may be fear that we don’t know enough or aren’t good enough or aren’t worthy enough. IT! may be pride or our work ethic or our posturing.

The Light is the Christ. We are called to NEWK-IT!, to allow his word to help us identify and explode out of our lives whatever IT! is that is getting in the way of the Light shining into our darkness. We are called to let the Light be the Light; we are called to welcome Christ into our heart and life to be the energy source, the light bulb and the rays of light. His energy, his power, his word and his work is light and life.

May God grant us courage to receive the Light with great anticipation that He will be shining in us. May God grant us boldness to be the Light of Christ in this dark world. May his peace which comforts us in our weaknesses be with us. Blessings IN Christ, Cindy

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