Your Light Has Come

Dr. Gary Nelson

"...your light has come..."

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"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1)

The fall mums by the back door of the church office had long lost their beauty. Now they were just dried up stalks awaiting their trimming and eventual demise on the brush pile. As a matter of fact, they'd become annoying in the way their dried stems drooped over the sidewalk and got in the way as I tried to clean the snow from the walk or get to the trash can. I didn't even pay the flowers much attention as the water rolling off the roof began to encase them in ice. Then just this morning the gray, cloudy skies lifted, the sun came out, and the sunlight revealed another miracle. Nothing had become something. The light shining through the ice brought the flowers to life once more. Wow!

I think you can see pretty quickly where I'm headed with this. This is the season when we celebrate the gift of God's Light for the world in the birth of Christ. That Light can restore and renew not just flowers, but our lives as well. Even if you feel drab, dried up, worthless, forgotten, unnoticed, even annoying, your Light has come. Get ready.

"Arise," Isaiah says, "for your light has come..." Sometimes when we feel drab or depressed it's necessary for us to place ourselves where the Light can shine upon us in order to feel its renewing qualities. Seek out relationship with others who are sharing the Light. Try to be patient. The gray skies might reign for awhile, but not forever. The Light will shine and you can feel renewed. Wait for that moment. Celebrate that experience!

And when others seem drab, dried up, worthless, forgotten, unnoticed, even annoying, don't give up on them. Help them find the Light and wait for the Light. What a moment to share when the Light shines and the glory of God's renewing love is revealed.

I pray that God will help me seek the Light and draw others to it's renewing rays. How about you?

Blessings and Peace,
Gary
Pastor, Sand Hill United Methodist Church
Boaz, West Virginia


Help save lives! For more information on my new book, "A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression," visit www.survivingteendepression.com.

Check out my new video, "Teens Surviving the Storm"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1hSpxC_G24