The Gift of Luminosity – Longing and Looking for Light
/The Gift of Luminosity – Longing and Looking for Light
April 01, 2022
Photo taken in Anchorage, Alaska.
“This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine.” Do the words and tune bring up memories from your childhood? Often thought of as an African-American spiritual, the song is also found in hymn books. I know I first learned this song in Vacation Bible School as a little, curious, brown-eyed girl at the First Methodist Church in Seymour, Texas. My grandmother and grandfather would sing the song along with me and my sisters as we would swing in their white porch swing on their columned front porch as Ninie would be knitting a colorful hat and Grandy was shelling pecans with his weathered hands.
My favorite version of the song is sung by Odetta Holmes. Not only is she often referred to as “The Voice of the Human Rights Movement,” her voice is gorgeous. Listening to her sing makes me want to crawl up in her lap and let her rock me as she sings. You can listen to it by clicking on the button below:
The quote, “Our inner being is a lamp of God’s love” by Joyce Rupp is written on a note card and attached to a lantern on my desk. I love the little old antique lantern and wish I knew the stories of the many nights that it provided light. The quote is a lovely, tangible reminder of the source of love needed at times when I desire to dig deep in my heart for the courage and exquisite risk to love big.
Photo taken in Dallas, Texas.
How during this time of peril in our world can we stumble through our fears, our insecurities and the uncertainties of it all and let our light shine? How can we choose hope in the darkness of pain? How can we pay attention to and perform acts of kindness and amplify them in the world?
Photo taken in Anchorage, Alaska.
We are all meant to shine. We were born to allow the beautiful embers within our own hearts to radiate warmth and love. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, it is contagious and we give other people permission to do the same. The ripple effect is an open and generous invitation to ourselves AND to others.
If we can recognize the beauty within our hearts, we can release some of the fear of being seen and known. I love the spacious understanding of the heart as described by Jon Kabat-Zinn in his description of mindfulness:
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity and acceptance of present-moment reality. It wakes us up to the fact that our lives unfold, only in moments. If we are not fully present for many of those moments, we may not only miss what is most valuable in our lives, but also fail to realize the richness and the depth of our possibilities for growth and transformation.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
How could it be that we have a growth-oriented understanding of the depth of the light within our hearts? How can we begin to understand that the essence of our being is to radiate luminosity?
I love this quote by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross: “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”
Photo taken at Thanksgiving Square, Dallas, Texas.
In the midst of the darkness, we can hold on to the stars at night, the places where the light shines through the cracks of our broken hearts and our broken world.
As you arise each morning, may the sunrise bring you the gift of hope….
Photo taken at Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas.
And as you end each day, may the sunset bring you the gift of peace….
Photo taken at Maffitt Lake, West Des Moines, Iowa.
My husband, Roger, in his poem “You Illumine Me” ponders how others influence, indeed illumine, our paths. Enjoy.
You Illumine Me
by Roger C. Jones
As a single candle illumines a dark room
and reveals the shadows of tenderness,
your presence imbues light
to my soul.
It’s hard to explain,
that mysterious connection–
person-to-person, eye-to-eye.
It’s hard to explain,
that warmth of spirit,
bond, and kinship.
And when that fated
darkness returns,
your bright courage
your glowing strength
unfurl for me
an enlightened space,
once again.
Photo taken in Dallas, Texas.
My meditation and prayer for each of us and especially those in our world for the month of April is that we would look for the light. Each day I will be posting an image of light with a word of inspiration and hope. If you are not on Facebook/Instagram, please download the PDF below. As we share our light with one another, we are sharing a ray of hope.
