Light a Candle

The Lord is God, and he has given us light. - Psalm 118:27

Have you ever sat in a completely dark tent on a mountain far away from the lights of town? The darkness seems so complete that you can't even see your hand in front of your face, let alone the inside of the tent. While sometimes it is just nice to sit in the dark and listen to the sounds around you, you can forget where everything is in the tent. That is when you reach into your pack and pull out the matches and the candle ( most of you would have flashlights, I'm sure).

With the first strike of the match, when the flame lights up the tent around you, it is amazing what you can see. You gain some insight as to what is around you, and it puts things back into perspective. You remember where you put your sleeping bag, shoes, stove and backpack. The light helps to push back some of the fear that eventually creeps in from sitting alone in the darkness. However, if you don't do something with the flame, it will eventually burn out, so you have to light the wick on the candle to keep the flame burning. That is when the flame really comes to life. The light from that little candle completely fills the tent.

The match was struck and the flame started when Mary said yes to God. We were given freewill by God, and Mary did not need to say yes. God gave her a choice. When Mary said yes, she lit the candle, and the flame lit up the world. God sent us his Son, Jesus, who was born as man to live among us. He did not want us to live in darkness, but to know the light of his love. He gave us, insight, perspective and hope.

Unlike our match and candle, God's candle never burns out. Every Christmas we are reminded that candle is still burning and we feel the joy of the flame pushing that darkness back, by being reminded of the Christmas Story and the birth of Jesus.