Today's daily lesson comes from Matthew 5 verses 14-16:
14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
The greatest gift I can give to another is to so let my own light shine that in my light they might discover their own.
To dare to let my light shine is to go ahead and apply when a voice in our heads say, "You aren't talented enough."
To dare to let my light shine is to laugh when laughter is deemed childish and improper.
To dare to let my light shine is to dance with my children, even when everybody is watching (thank you Brene Brown).
To dare to let my lights shine is to speak my truth, even when it conflicts with the wisdom of the age.
To dare to let my light shine is to preach -- without notes, and to trust the Spirit.
To dare to let my light shine is to stand next to those who are scorned, disdained, and treated with contempt, when they're friends and strangers and especially when they're blood relatives.
To dare to let my light shine is to just show up -- in spite of my fears.
These are just some of the ways I light my lamp so that others may see.
Hanging on the wall above the desk of one of the female pastors on our church is a quote by Marianne Williamson. It is a powerful word:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
I really love that. It's a grown up reflection on a song I -- and probably you -- learned as a child, which I would do well to sing every day:
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine . . ."
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