LIGHT

One morning after it had rained all night, I walked outside to the water hydrant and noticed the wet and soggy ground and felt a cloudy, gloominess surrounding me.  It seemed almost tangible.  It was maybe 9:00 am so there was daylight but no ray of light or brightness.  The words "this cold and dreary world" came into my mind and I was beginning to feel a bit discouraged and depressed.

As I continued my short journey back into the house I felt the need to look up to the sky with a wish to see the sun and brightness that comes with it.  Only then did I see the sun trying to shine through the clouds.  It wasn't covering the earth like it does on a bright summer day but it was there.  I lifted my head and looked up and there was the light and brightness I was in need of.  It was there - I just had to seek it.  The correlation between that bit of light in the sky and Christ's Light was instantly on my mind, just as was the joy that replaced the gloominess in my heart.

I walked into the house, grabbed my phone and went back out to take a picture to remind me of what I had just seen and felt.

The next morning our power went out, making it difficult to see things because it was still dark outside, so I lit some oil lamps and candles and sat down with a flashlight to read the "Come, Follow Me - For Individuals and Families" manual and the scriptures it suggested for the week.

I almost didn't read the suggested scriptures (Matthew 2 and Luke 2) because I knew the story they were telling, but then decided I'd better read them.   Luke 2:32 spoke to my heart and soul as I read the words Simeon used to describe Christ - "A light to lighten the Gentiles".

I immediately remembered the experience I had the previous day and thought about the new and present conditions surrounding me again that morning (which was darkness and a flashlight to make it possible to see and read the scriptures) and I felt a tender blessing of love, and once again I felt and knew that Christ knows me personally.  He sent these experiences to help, comfort, enlighten, and guide me.

As I was finishing up my reading the power came back on and I realized how these things could be considered coincidence to some, but to me, it was DIVINE.   Had I chosen to not read the scriptures because I already knew what they said or just put it all down and stopped studying because the lights went out, I would have missed out on a wonderful and tender, personal experience.



Now, a week later, in the light, warmth and comfort of my home, but with an overwhelming concern (even a "gloominess") on my mind and in my heart, I sat to finish my personal study of "Come, Follow Me" and the scriptures for this week.   I read the journal notes I had written as I read thru the week and saw things like;

"Christ is the TRUE LIGHT, and all have it."  

"He saves all who come unto Him and Believe Him."  

"He is the only way!"

I re-read John 1:4-10 and the ideas in the manual for those verses, and I was again reminded that "the Savior is the Light of [our] lives."



No matter what our earthly or mental surroundings and conditions, no matter who we are or where we are, no matter what we have said or done or felt or otherwise experienced,  no matter how dark and dreary things seem or are, ... NO MATTER WHAT ... I KNOW

"The LIGHT 

SHINETH in DARKNESS" 

(John 1:5)

The experiences of the last couple weeks have helped me remember how grateful I am for His LIGHT.  I know that He will be present if we allow Him to be, if we SEEK HIM.    Look for Him.   Look to Him.

I am grateful to the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their inspired direction and guidance and for the new Come, Follow Me - For Individuals and Families.  I look forward to the enlightenment that can come as we continue to study through the year.

I know that our lives are better as we put Christ in the center of all that we do.  He is our strength.  HE IS THE ONLY WAY!





Well, I had this post complete - or so I thought, and was going to come back to publish it after a phone call I had and some studying for seminary, but then ...

As I was studying for seminary.  I read the word enlightens in the scriptures and decided to study a bit more about it since it has been on my mind of late and I had just written about it.

I found a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God's Light and read the first portion of it, Entrance to Enlightenment.  He spoke of a painting with the same title so I searched for and found it.   In doing so, it led me to another small article about the picture, in Arts.

Entrance to Enlightenment

I won't spend time re-writing what each of those articles said, but I added links.  I will once again add how wonderful it is to be enlightened, and add this:

understand that darkness exists - but do not dwell there

LIGHT ALSO EXISTS 

DWELL THERE!