I was reading the beatitudes this morning when I came to the ‘you are the light of the world’ part.
Jesus asked, “Who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place?”
Good question, Jesus! Me, maybe??
As an alternate suggestion, Jesus told the crowds to place it “where everyone in the house can benefit from its light” (Matthew 5:14 Passion translation).
The light is to be placed where it can do the most good.
And so I began to wonder - where is that for me?
Several years ago, a friend came to help me redecorate my home. The first thing we did was to take everything out of the room. Everything. Furniture, wall hangings, clutter and kitsch, it all went.
Then, one by one, starting with the biggest pieces, we brought it back and we asked the question of if it still belonged, and if so, where.
I’ll tell you this - having less in the room brought what was there out of obscurity and into greater light.
During the months of November and December, I’m going to be doing that exercise with my work/ministry life. I’m going to put a pause on about 75% of my work. One by one, I’ll take the parts and pieces out of the proverbial room. Then I’ll sit there awhile in the empty space as I begin to ask those questions of if it goes back in - and if so, where. What needs more room to shine and what has served its time?
These Little Life Words are among the things I’ll be taking out of the room for the next 2 months. While I’ll miss showing up in your inbox for that time, I do anticipate a return here come January. Stay tuned.
Please know what a gift and a grace you are to me and to this dear world. Shine on, dear one!
If this met you in a meaningful way, please consider supporting my words and work in the world! And thank you kindly!
DEEPER DIVE
Ponder:
What’s obscuring your light? What’s enhancing it?
What needs more room to shine and what has served its time?
Practice:
Name all.the.things in the room of your life. Is your light getting lost in the clutter and kitsch? How might you create a clearing?
Meditate on this poem by Martha Postlethwaite:
Clearing
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world
so worthy of rescue.
Play:
Okay friends, humor me! I’m a child of the 60’s and 70’s and am a lover of all things Godspell, so our song today comes from there: Light of the World.
Pray:
You who made me, place me where I can do the greatest good.
All the love to you, friends! I’ll see you in the New Year.
“Please know what a gift and a grace you are to me and to this dear world. Shine on, dear one!” -- Right back at ya, dear Jenny.
If I may say, on behalf of your dedicated readers, please keep LLW when you are considering what stays and what goes. 😘♥️🙂
“What needs more room to shine and what has served its time?” -- I’ll be tucking this question away for the new year. I have been thinking about that poem a lot lately too. Thank you!