All the Little Lights that Point to the One

By Jessica Brodie

Have you ever lit a candle and just gazed at that tiny little flame, so pure and solitary. Innocuous, even.

If you take that candle and set it in the center of a birthday cake, you have a little speck of joy and celebration. Put that candle together with 10 or 20 or 50 more candles, and you have a pretty substantial flame, bright enough to fill a room. Take that birthday cake and set it next to a bonfire and some kindling, and you could have a full blaze. Then think about adding even more ignition material—what if you added gasoline? Then you’d have an explosion, a massive fire burning so hot and bright that perhaps you couldn’t even control it.

In a way, that’s what our individual lights are like. We who follow Jesus the Christ are like tiny little flames on our own, showing the way to him. But put us all together, and you have something more substantial. Give us some real ignition material—the word of God, a growing and thriving church, tremendous faith—and look out! The world cannot help but notice.

The overall title of this weekly blog is shining the light, and that’s what I want—what I’ve wanted for years now, and what I want for the rest of my life. I want simply to use my life to point to Jesus so all will know the love and the hope and the truth and the transformation that comes from our Heavenly Father through his Son and through the power of the Holy Spirit, three in one. I suspect many of you are doing this, too—using your sphere of influence, using your life, even if just within your home, to illuminate that candle and enable others to be warmed by the fire that is God’s love.

Recently, I had the opportunity to read a book that reminded me of the way one small light can ignite a fire. The book, Betrayal Is Like Death But You Stay Alive, was written by a man who was blindsided when his wife called to inform him she was pregnant with another man’s child, leaving the marriage and the family they created. In an instant his whole world crashed, resulting in a divorce. His grief was unbearable for a time, but in that grief, he began writing poetry.

His poems at first reflected all the grief and sadness and anger within him. But as he, a Christ follower, began to heal, those poems reflected his healing. Soon he was writing about forgiveness and grace and understanding. That collection, along with narratives about his process, is now a book out there in the world designed to help others also walking through the pain of betrayal and surprising, wrenching loss.

In spite of his pain, this one man lit his candle and allowed its glow to be used for good. For God. And hopefully, through this book, to help others. His courage in lighting his light, even in a time of darkness, will light other wicks in turn, and together those wicks all become part of God’s great fiery love, his healing and perfect grace and truth.

If you are going through a similar situation, my hope is that you will read this book. Or if you know someone experiencing this, that you will perhaps share it with them. Sometimes it helps to see someone else’s light shining so we can find our way.

My friends, life can be so hard. Even if we’ve never experienced the pain of betrayal, we’ve experienced other pain, haven’t we? If we haven’t, we most assuredly will if we have love in our hearts. Our loved ones die, move far away, face pains of their own. Jesus knew what it was like to walk through grief. One of the most beautiful lines in the gospels is also the shortest: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). It’s beautiful because it reminds us that Jesus was a human being just like us. Not only God, he was a man who felt things. He felt love and betrayal and happiness and excitement and frustration—all the things we also experience. It’s beautiful because we know he genuinely understands what we go through. And he offers us a better way. A true way.

He offers us the hope that can only be found in him.

So whatever you are going through in this life, whether you are in a good season or a bad season or somewhere in between, light your candle and hold it up so all can see.

“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.”— Matthew 5:15 NIV

A few songs that might inspire you:

Pass it On

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEICUm5cjyE

Give Them All to Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETT5fA8qu_I

If you’d like to read or share this beautiful book, Betrayal Is Like Death But You Stay Alive, by Max B. Silwel, it’s available here on Amazon.

If you know someone who would benefit from reading this blog, please share this with them:

Are you a reader? I write Christian contemporary fiction that addresses the authentic, real-life faith issues many of us struggle with—forgiveness, mental health, and how to embrace new life in Christ after years of sin and wandering. (They’re also both Amazon bestsellers!) I hope you’ll check them out. Available in paperback, ebook, or audiobook. Click here.