This Little Light of Mine...
I can't help but shine!
The light is turned off, but the end of day sun that hasn’t full set yet, is still streaming through the farmhouse window. My daughter is cozied up next to me in her zippered, footie pajamas—her hair still a little damp from her bath.
We start singing.
“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” and on and on the song goes. After we finish, I look at her and say, “Do you know that you shine the light of Jesus to everyone?” She scrunches her face and smiles, “Really mom? Does everybody?”
I smile as I gaze at her long eyelashes, “Yes baby, everyone.”
A few years ago we had wall hanging made that reads the quote below. Every time our family sits down at the table to eat, does school work, has conversations, laughs with family or friends who visit, or play games, we are reminded of what we all hold inside of us—the light of God’s presence.
Watching for the presence of God in others will change the way you relate to them as you begin to see yourself surrounded by bearers of our Lord's presence in the world. - David Benner
Whether we realize it or not, we all bear the image of God. Every single person on the face of this earth, that ever was and ever will be, reflects the beauty of the Trinity. We hold His light in our being—a glimpse of Heaven reflected solely in who we are.
We are light bearers of the Divine’s glory.
When I hear this wording, I sometimes make a face like my daughter. Her face scrunching was out of curiosity and innocence—wondering awe of the concept of the Divine living and shining throughout each living and breathing life. My face scrunch is a sobering reminder—we all bear the image of God in who we are, but we are also deeply, broken human beings. I often do not act as if I’m a light bearer. I can get so caught up in my own insecurities and human selfishness.
I’m driven by fear.
I crave security.
I prefer my own way.
I’d like to control every outcome.
I communicate unkindly.
I hurt others by being distracted in their presence.
Back and forth, on and on I go—being pulled to and fro in the life I live between the holy spaces that surround me and the broken, sinful places I display. We will never be perfect—Jesus is the only perfection that has ever walked the face of this earth. However, Jesus was never inviting us humans into perfection. He invites us to live and breathe in unison with Him. Our human efforts try so hard mask what is going on—when God, ever so gently, invites us to lay the mask down and just live in reflection of Him.
How do we shine His light in a broken and dark world?
We live.
We breathe.
We smile.
We combat fear.
We cry.
We break our promises.
We laugh.
We skin our knees.
We be the humans our Creator has made us to be—just us.
There’s nothing we can add or take away from the Glory that we reflect every second of every day. The way we’re outwardly and inwardly designed, holds beautiful traces of God’s intentional fingerprints. We are His kingdom come on earth.
Dear reader, if you were to imagine yourself as the light of Jesus, shining for the world to see—
What would the shape of your light be?
What colors would your light shine?
How is Jesus holding your light?
How you are feeling toward your light?
What rising in you as you notice your light?
What prayers is the Trinity praying over your light?
What song would your light sing?
Take a few moments to let these words wash over your soul.
May we be invited to slow down today—noticing the way we shine.
May we see the people that God places in our path today, as fellow sojourners and light bearers.
May we be reminded that we are fearfully, and wonderfully made.
Substack always offers their writers the option to open up for paid subscriptions. I know many writers on this platform offer this to their subscribers, but for me, I hope to always keep what I offer here in this space free of charge. My husband and I serve in support-based missions work in diaspora ministry, specifically in refugee care. If you want to support my writing—you could give a one-time or recurring donation to our ministry and that would be a huge blessing.
I once heard, what you see and love in a person is the reflection of God's image, and I love that thought. Shining our little lights...
Oh, Brianna, I love this. To me whenever I hear the word “glory”. I think light. U see beautiful, warm Fall light, never fireworks or flashes but broad spaces full of that magnificent light. I love your conversation with your daughter and with yourself. And, Yes, selfishness, anger, sharp tongue, quick to judge, .. I own all of that, too. But…we are vessels of His glory even as He grows and changes us. Thank you.