Rachel Allord

I have found the hot spot in my house and I never want to leave. My loveseat is drenched in sunlight and I’m as warm as toast, even though it’s frightfully cold outside and the clouds zoom through the sky like boats on a lake. It is one of those rare and wonderful days where I don’t need to be anywhere for a few hours. I’ll grocery shop later. I’ll throw in a load of laundry later. Right now I’m all about basking in this light. I’m staying put. So is the dog it seems.

From this spot I’ve worked on my computer, done a little reading, made a phone call. How else can I justify sitting here all day? Fold laundry. Balance the checkbook. Write a blog. How much of my life can I live in this light? As the light inches across the room, I will move with it. I’ll scoot over the loveseat and disturb the dog just to follow the light. It’s so worth it.

Light warms, illuminates, shows us the way, and exposes everything. If there’s a “bad” thing about the light it’s this: it reveals every single smudge on my computer, every single dog hair (there are many) on my sweater, every dust fairy floating across the room. A dark house is a clean house. I once cleaned my whole house to ready for company but when the company arrived, late afternoon sunlight streamed through my glass front door, illuminating fingerprints and paw prints and your day-to-day grime. So much for  clean.

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah prophesied 700 years before Christ was born.

Because of God’s tender mercy the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. Zechariah prophesied months before Christ was born.

Some didn’t recognize the light. Some didn’t understand the light. Some hated the light. King Herod tried to extinguish the light (when the light was just a baby) forever. But the light shone on. The light of the sun (son?) holds more power than us. Every parent who’s heard their child whine, “The sun is in my eyes!” from the backseat of the car knows this. “What do you want me to do, honey? Move the sun?”

“I am the light of the world.” Jesus said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Light exposes the darkness of our souls, illuminates the path of our redemption—The Light Himself. And then we are called to stay there. In the light. Follow it around, pick up our chair or whatever it is we need to do and move our lives around to chase the light, to stay in the light, because there’s nothing better than living in the warmth and comfort and freedom of light. To be known and loved by the creator and to know and love the creator.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8)

Linger, love, live in The Light.