An Army of Lights

I love being a mama.  Man, do I love my kid. He is bright and energetic; compassionate and kind; thoughtful and silly.  Yes, I am completely biased.  I remember hearing my friends who had kids when I didn’t, repeat things their kids would say and think how profound it was.  Since becoming Mama I have heard my fair share of these pop out of my child’s mouth, but this week it sent chills up my arms.

I had read Genesis 1 recently and God had given it new light, reminding me that He makes beauty out of chaos and that even in the longest, most restless of nights, He is still working.  That’s been churning in my heart ever since.  Verse 3 however, continued to roll around in my heart as well.  “Then God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light.’” It just kept sitting with me.

Yesterday, my son, almost 8, started a new devotional book called Indescribable. Day 1 is entitled “A Blank Page” and quotes Genesis 1:1-3.  This same day I had read Matthew 5:14 where Jesus tells us “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”  My son’s response: “So God created an army of lights.” 

An army of lights is exactly what He created and called us to be. He called us to be light in a dark world. He has called us to love, unconditionally, those around us.  He called us to let our light shine. 

So here is my question to myself and to us:  Are we being the light we’re made to be?  Or are we too caught up in what things are supposed to look like, fitting in neat little boxes, to be that light?  Are we too concerned with being comfortable to do what is better for all of us?

We are called to be exactly what my observant little man said: an army of lights.  This light is driven by love.  From a song I sang in a choir over 20 years ago: “Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is humble, all of the time; not easily angered.  Enduring the test.  So never forget: Love is the more excellent way.” (Babbie Mason, “Love is the More Excellent Way”).  If our actions can’t be tied to loving others, something is missing, and maybe we need to rethink it all.  Afterall, God created an army of lights.