I love when God orchestrates my life so distinctly.
In the last 48 hours, I have heard references to the word “light” multiple times;
in our family advent reading,
my personal devotions,
on a Facebook post,
in a song on my Spotify playlist,
and then yesterday sitting in my office at church I flipped over my verse cube. I do this every couple of weeks to focus on a new verse. And there it was…again….waiting for me to soak it in.
“God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5
As our family of six waited in a doctor’s office with fear and anxiousness on August 10, 2009, God was preparing for light to come. In walked a larger than life woman with a smile from ear to ear who would bring light to our darkness. This doctor would oversee Mikayla’s anesthesiology for the 36 treatments that would be administered over the next 3 months. Monday through Friday, Mikayla would need to lay on a table with her feet wrapped together by a band and her arms above her head gripping a metal bar as she tried to lay perfectly still while a proton beam was directed through her malignant hip tumor in the hope of destroying it. If our 9 year old could not do this, this doctor would put her to sleep and wake her up every day. AFTER introducing herself and BEFORE she brought us the very hard news of what the next three months would look like she said this:
“I am a Christian first and then I am a doctor. I believe that what you need most of all right now is Jesus.”
Umm…wow! This was not what we expected to hear but boy did we ever need this doctor! She then went on to say,
“I challenge you, whether you know God or not, to read Psalm 91 every day until Mikayla’s radiation is done.”
LIGHT! All six of us began breathing easier in those moments because she dared to be the light. She didn’t know we were Jesus followers. She didn’t know what world view we were sitting there with. She just knew that she could offer light in a very dark situation.
Can you even imagine how shocked we were? Marty and I were terrified of this experimental treatment that Mikayla was about to begin. We were weary from the past 6 months of intense, pain-causing chemotherapy she had endured. And yet, here at MD Anderson Cancer Institute, over a thousand miles from our home, with family and friends who had been shining light in our darkness, God was shining light into our darkness again! Because “God is light!”
That’s our God. He is always going before us. When the darkness is extremely dark, He will bring light to His children. He loves to do this!
Maybe you are walking in some darkness right now. Reflect on these passages:
John 1:5 - “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:9 - “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”
Isaiah 9:2 - “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”
If you don’t know Jesus personally yet, He is the light you are seeking. I promise. There is nothing in our world that can turn your darkness into light except a relationship with Him. Christmas is the celebration of the Light – Jesus - coming into the world. This Christmas could be the celebration of the Light – Jesus - coming into your life. Please call me if you want to experience the light of Jesus. I would love to share Him with you.
If you do know Jesus personally, you are the one who needs to bring light to someone who is experiencing darkness. Whether it’s spiritual darkness or an emotionally dark time like we were going through…be the light! Speak about the light of Christ to those around you. Don’t hide your light. Shine brightly wherever God puts you; in the grocery store to the produce person, in your office as you interact with co-workers, to your neighbor as you pick up the mail, with your kids while you’re making dinner. Walk outside of your comfort zone and be the light of Christ to those around you. This life is short – don’t waste a day!
There’s a wonderful, old children’s song you might know.
This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Share the light this Christmas because “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” Hallelujah!