Light of the World

It is week 1 of the Making Your Home a Haven Fall Challenge. Here is this week's challenge: Go buy an extra large candle and light a candle everyday in your home. I will be starting mine in the morning! But you can start yours at dinner time. Do what makes sense for your family. I will be placing mine in the kitchen - the main hub of my home. Each time the candle catches your eye, say a prayer for peace in your home.


I love fall. I eagerly anticipate it each year. I add to my favorite pumpkin recipes each year and last year began collecting fall home decor when I was sharing a house with 3 other girls. This weekend kicked it off in my home with making homemade hurricane vases, baking up some pumpkin roll and pumpkin dinner rolls on Saturday, and going to the Orchard to pick apples with some girlfriends on Sunday.

This year I'm in my own apartment, and along with eagerly awaiting fall, I am eagerly awaiting my wedding to my fiance, Brandon. Over the past few weeks being 4.5 hours away from him has been a struggle. In addition to that (and planning our frugal wedding), I've started a new teaching job and moved to a new town and state. All very exciting-but possibly overwhelming experiences. I've struggled with loneliness in a new town without a home church yet.

So as I shopped for a great, big, new Yankee Candle to burn for the Making Your Home A Haven challenge, I began to think of light, and how Jesus is the light of the world. I couldn't help but think of a popular praise and worship song:

"Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness, opened my eyes let me see, beauty that made this heart adore you, hope of a life spent with you" -Here I Am to Worship, Chris Tomlin

And then I began to realize just how selfish I was to drudge around all day, sulking over my feelings of sadness and loneliness. How can I be lonely when Jesus is the light? He came into the ultimate darkness of a world full of sin to give us the hope of a life with him. Not a hope which is the chance of salvation, but hope of the promise of salvation. The kind of hope that looks forward confidently, not sheepishly.

So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." -John 12:34-36 ESV

The candle is lit in my dining room to pray for peace for my soon-to-be marriage and household, but also to remind me that I am not alone, I will fear no evil, because Christ is the light to all my darkness.



Amen.