Have you ever been sound asleep when all the sudden
someone walked into the room and flipped on the light switch?
It's enough to make you cringe, immediately pulling the covers
over your head, trying to reclaim the darkness you once found
comfort in. That flip of the switch filled the room with so
much light that your eyes didn't have time to adjust and
awaken to it. The light was just too bright all at once.
As silly as it may sound, our lives can often run a similar
parallel.
Many times each day we are faced with scenarios and
situations that offer us the opportunity to blind someone with
our light or become a beacon, leading them out of the
darkness.
Our light is our joy, our love, compassion... our kindness.
Our light is our source of purpose. Our light is fueled by
God. Our light guides us through the day and provides us the
ability to see the wonders of the world through eyes of
thankful amazement. Our light helps us grow and share with
others... our light illuminates the shadows to cause us to
want to help those lost in the darkness.
Some may be experiencing a lack of light due to mental and
emotional pain, a physical challenge, or a spiritual
disconnection that has caused their eyes to become sensitive
to light. Take that negative co- worker for example. You know,
that person down the hall who just always seems so rude and
unhappy. Maybe you've attempted to outreach to him, to show
him kindness and build him up with positive words and
thoughts. But no matter what you do, he just seems to coil
back up into his little world of darkness and negativity.
Perhaps your light is too bright. Maybe you just need to be
patient, dim the switch a little and let your subtle kindness
be the night light that shows him a path. Realize that your
light is far more powerful than his darkness and eventually he
may choose to seek it out.
We often think we need to walk into the darkness with one
of those huge stadium spotlights so that everyone can see but
in reality, if our light is too bright it may do more harm
than good. Remember... one tiny light bulb can illuminate an
entire room.
Take someone who is seeking spiritual truth as another
example. They may be seeking because of a past negative
experience with a church or belief. They may be a disbeliever
all together or they may just be curious, wanting to know if
God is really there. When we encounter someone on the pathway
to truth, walking a dimly lit road in search of light, we must
be careful not to bombard him or her in a way that blinds them
or disrupts their journey. We only need to be there, to share
our light in a loving and generous way, like a guidepost so
that we enable this seeker to continue on their path with a
little more light and direction than before.
Kindness is part of this light. By showing kindness and
love and looking at each circumstance and interaction with
others as an opportunity to share our light with the world, we
begin to look at things much differently. When we begin to see
others and ourselves as having a purpose in God's greater plan
and a knowing that each one of us is on our own path of a
collective purpose, we see how impactful our lives can be on
the lives of others.
Every interaction you have today may affect ten, twenty, or
more. From a smile at the grocery store clerk to a simple
"Thank You"... you never know just how far your light might be
seen.
This week, be encouraged to think about each person you
meet as someone who may be awakening from darkness. Share your
light in a loving and kind way. Don't just run in, flipping
the switch. Instead, choose to allow God to work in your life
and in the lives of others by using your light as a beacon of
hope, as a guidepost along the way and an example of what the
ultimate Gift of Kindness is truly about.
Until next time... Be Kind.
-Daniel
