By Pastor LaSone Releford
“Let your light so shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven” Matthew 5:16 KJV
As I sit at my desk, located on the east side of my downstairs bedroom, on strict instructions from my employer to work from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the walls seem to become the thing I stare at the most. A dark corner that seems to go upward for days, right into a popcorn ceiling that seems to catch every wayward particle that floats in the air. I noticed thin cobwebs and imperfections in the paint work where the roller touched the ceiling causing color blotches in certain areas. I immediately began speaking in my mind about the lazy painter who was in such a rush to finish, that he failed to pay attention to the details. Diving right into a pool of negative thoughts, even picturing how he may have looked. I was mad at the unknown while making up my own conclusion about the matter. As the sun began to rise and the light began to seep through the edges of a nearby window, I looked at the same spots in the ceiling and you could barely notice them. It’s amazing how a glimmer of light moves our attention from the darkness and gives us laser focus on the light.
It’s so easy, during times of uncertainty, to jump to our own conclusions. It is true that we are experiencing some very dark days and life as we know it could very well change from here on out. As millions are waking to the reality of furloughs, lay-offs and the loss of jobs it could look just like that dark endless corner, filled with cobwebs, popcorn ceilings, and imperfections. If you are like me, you are a man that feels the weight of those whom God has entrusted you to care for. You want to protect them, give them security and a sense of stability. Yet at times, your mind is filled with a pool of “what if’s”. What if I lose my job? What if one of us get infected? My God, what if one of us pass away? What if I never marry? Will I die alone then be buried alone? It’s easy to fight an enemy you can see, but it’s horrible fighting an invisible one. Like Chicken Little, you have those feelings on impeding darkness. I call it “the sky is falling”, feeling. But it is during these times that God calls us who know where our hope lies to stand up. Not in man, not in government, but our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. He calls us to become reflectors of that small glimmer of light in the mist of darkness. One glimmer of light in a dark dangerous place, can lead a crowd to safety. The scripture tells us that Jesus is the light (John 8:12). Jesus then turns around and tells us that we are the light of the world (Matt 5:14). If the light of Jesus lives on the inside of us, we become the lantern in a world of darkness. We carry the light and we are instructed to let it shine! Shine in a way that leads those around us to the source of that light…Jesus Christ!
Yesterday, I spoke with a mortgage representative over the phone. He marveled at my demeanor during the conversation. “Sir, how can you sound so happy during these times? You wouldn’t believe the panic I hear on some of the calls I take”. I said to him, “These are very uncertain times and people feel hopeless indeed. But I have another hope not in this world but in the God who created all things”. He said, “You know what Mr. Releford, you are so right. It was meant for me to speak to you today”. One glimmer of hope and light, can mean the world to someone trapped in darkness. Be the light!