Light Givers

Light Givers--

I am sitting looking out the window at the lake.  The water is perfectly smooth-like the top of a glass table.  This morning the reflections of homes across the water are exact copies of the houses themselves.  Last evening those same homes were points of light both on land and on the water.  Such a difference light makes.

Yesterday it was rainy and very windy at the coast.  We went in search of agates.  Only a couple of other folks dared to brave the wind and rain to continue their search.  My guess is the winds were between 30-40 mph.  The tide was going out when we arrived.  Low tide is the time to search for treasure.  So even though one needed an anchor to hold oneself down on earth, we were there.  Bent over with heads down searching among rocks and sand for agates.  The sun did not push its way through the layers of clouds.  The rain did not stop.  And neither did we.  Thank goodness for rain jackets.

This morning nature is calm.  Almost peaceful.  However,  I fear she has other tricks up her sleeve.  After all, it is spring break for students and teachers.  It has to rain and turn cold.  That seems to be an unwritten rule.  How lovely if nature would change her mind and allow those shorts to come out of the closet.  Allow the sun to warm those white faces hidden in classrooms for months.  Allow freedom from sweatshirts and jackets.  It's a nasty joke really.

Even though the weather won't be perfect, people will flock to the coast to simply get away from everyday life.  It is refreshing to be in a different location for a little piece of time.  It fills the soul with joy.   Life has the way of removing all the light we have within us.  We work.  We take care of others.  We do all the things that make life function smoothly.  Those are good things.  But, they tie us to a place.  Freedom is what we must have.  Freedom to decide what to do on the new day.  Freedom to sleep a little later or rise early to watch the sun climb in the sky.  We need both.  The routine and the freedom.  They provide balance.  And we are refreshed and ready to move on with life after freedom has given her gift.

Back to light.  Morning brings light.  Lamps bring light.  Candles bring light.  Headlights give light to help us find our way.  The fact is light removes dark. Light floods every space it meets.  Light is essential to our health.  Both sunlight and that special light that fills our souls.  Inner light is similar to artificial light.  Inner light shines from a person who has joy.  Inner light comes from understanding that even though dark times will invade its space, light will overtake the dark.

I love that.  Light will overtake the dark.  In other words, I don't have to stay in a dark room.  I can hit the switch on the wall and eliminate the dark.  So can you. What about the absense of light we feel deep down in our being?  We have the ability to turn that darkness we feel into warm lovely light.  It may not be as simple as pushing a wall switch.  It may take a little doing, but we must not be held captive by darkness.  We are meant to be light givers.  Not light takers.  We give away our light when we encourage others.  When we refuse to be critical of behavior we don't fully understand.  When our own ideas cloud the truth.  When we believe we are right and others are wrong.  Light givers rejoice in others whether they are like us or not.  Light givers celebrate the remarkable gift of understanding.  In other words, it isn't all about them.  It is about bringing joy and peace and love and care into a world that needs all of that and more.  Our time is limited.  With this time we are given, perhaps we should view life, light and dark more seriously.  If we realize we are in the presence of light takers, perhaps we should find the strength to move away. To run as fast as we can in the other direction.  There are certainly light givers just waiting for our arrival.

I don't know if the clouds will remain today.  I don't know if the sun will break through the clouds and bring warmth to this piece of our earth.  What I do know is the sun is there.  She is willing to give her light without asking anything in return.  She can be counted on all the time.  She doesn't make judgments about whether this one should have her gift, but that one shouldn't.  What a tremendous truth we can learn from that.  If we are to be our best, we should be like her.  Giving our warmth to everyone. Not withholding because--you name the because.  

Life brings challenges.  Some take away our light for a little while.  What we learn from that is we don't have to remain in the darkness.  We can move towards those who get our goofy sense of humor.  Who might not agree with us, but who are never judgmental.  Who bring laughter into our space.  Who don't color our words with their favorite colors, but allow our colors to be our own.  Those are the light givers we all need.  Those who make our hearts smile when we hear their voice or receive an email or letter.

Today is a new opportunity to shed  joy and light in this world.  It really is easy.  A smile at a stranger.  A door opened for someone.  An email to a friend just to say hi.  A cup of coffee shared.  A tender heart.  Our gift of light has the power to lift another.  And we are lifted when we give.  It is always true.  The more we give ourselves away, the more blessed and happy we are.  Today I refuse to allow any darkness to invade my space.  It will be a glorious, light filled day-all day long!