A light in a dark world

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

I have been thinking a lot about this passage. I've been thinking about being a light.

We live in a very dark world. I decided this morning I would not watch the news. Am I choosing ignorance? No. I have just had enough doom and gloom and darkness. I need a day off.

I need to recharge my light. To figure out how to reignite my inner source of power.

Religions of all stripes are taking a beating right now. They are, if you listen to the undertones, responsible for 90% of all the evil in the world. And yet, I don't personally know many evil people, religious or otherwise. I am daily assaulted by Facebook articles and status' that claim to know me because of my professed beliefs.

My faith is very simple. I need to set all the barrage aside and remember who I am and to whom I belong. I believe in being a light to the world. I believe in living love. I believe in forgiving others and myself (cause I make plenty mistakes).

So I decide that I can be a light. What does a light do?
 
It can offer hope. Like a window light in the distance to a person lost in a dark wood.

It can offer help. Like a lantern being lowered down a well to a small child who has fallen and is being rescued.

It can throw light on a situation. It can expose a problem, like a flashlight in the hands of a plumber looking for a leak.

Comfort and hope are found in love. But the light isn't the fix. The one to whom the light belongs is the fix.

How do we fight darkness in the world?

All we can do is live our life giving light where we can. At least these are my conclusions - you may disagree and that is OK with me too.

A Jane Eyre moment

If you have read Jane Eyre you'll remember the scene with the big tree. If you haven't read Jane Eyre, there is a large tree by which Jane & Rochester "come to an understanding," or in a more corny version "confess their love." After which, there is a storm and the large tree is hit by lightening and destroyed. It becomes the foreshadowing event for their relationship.

I had a Jane Eyre moment this morning. On Saturday Wes made the kids a swing.

It started like this. I heard the girls playing and very excited. Mari came in the house looking for her bike helmet and said, "Bronwyn and I made a swing. Daddy said we can use it if we use our helmets." I figured that meant it wasn't the best of structures.

Before too long Wes had gathered a few materials together and made them a very rustic tree swing.

Oh my they were happy! So excited.

 

 

 

I was a bit concerned since that tree isn't the strongest in the world and I was sure the very large branch/trunk would come down on their heads. I had a sense of foreboding. Well, I could claim foresight if it wasn't for my usual pessimistic anxiety.

The kids think their dad is a super hero when he does stuff like that for him. I thought he was a super hero cause he finally cut the grass in the back yard! I cleaned out the gardens, the kids picked apples. We brought in everything we could since we were hearing that our temperatures might drop below freezing. Some people even used the "s" word.

Sunday was beautiful and hot, +27, but we were at Grandmas so our gardens just enjoyed the day off.

Monday was rainy, cloudy and cold. By the time the kids returned from school the snow had started and they insisted on playing outside. I wouldn't let them play on the swing in case the extra snow might make the tree unstable.

Tuesday morning there was snow everywhere. Wet heavy snow. As I came into the kitchen I saw that two of the largest tree branches were down. On across our deck and one over the fence into the back alley. This became a concern since I wasn't sure the garbage trucks would get by (Tuesday is garbage day). Wes went to rent a chain saw from home depot. I went and took a picture of the poor wee swing laying on the ground.

First day of school

I know spring should be the season on new beginnings but for me it has always been fall. I love fall. I love leaves and harvests and the smells and the crispness. I love it. This year it does seem to have come rather quickly, but I still love it.

And for the first time a very long time I am alone, not for the whole day but for part of the day I'm alone. All by myself! What to do...

Gavin is in Grade 5, Bronwyn Grade 3, and Mari Grade 1. So I have a partially empty nest.

I am terribly tempted to run errands so I can drive by the school at recess and spy on them. Creepy? Yes, I know I probably wont. Probably.

Sigh, a new chapter for all of us.