This little light of mine by Joy Lenton

Words I sang as a child still rattle around my mind.

They seem to be easy to dredge up from the depths.

Maybe it's because my early years come back into sharper focus over time.

It's especially hard to get song lyrics out of our heads, isn't it?

Does anyone else remember, 'This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine'?

It came to mind as I pondered on being a light for Christ in a dark world.

Most days I feel more like a wavering wick or briefly flaring match than a constant, fervent flame.

Yet a seemingly insignificant match dropped into the right place can become the start of a conflagration, instigator of an inferno.

Our spoken words can do this too - those said in the heat of anger, fire of passion or flame of love can have huge impact.

What about our written words? 

We send out fiery dart prayers, wave creative sparks around, light a small candle or two, hoping others are drawn toward their light.

Where is our calling in all of this?

• To be living flames on fire for God
• Reflect the Light of the world within
• Point others to Him 
• Make a difference with our words and lives

How can we be encouraged in this task?

By remembering these things as we labour in our small corners:

• Our light reflects God's light
• It shines even when we feel dull and drained
• We have an inestimable potential reach
• Our words matter - they have eternal repercussions
• Faithfulness to commit to the task and trusting God to help us is vital
• Our calling may look small but it's a glorious part of a whole
• Although we may doubt our ability sometimes, it's still a gift of grace to be shared
• We can quench the fire within but Holy Spirit will inspire us anew
• Jesus will never snuff out a faltering candle-wick, only nurture it back to life

Our mission is to minister to others in the way we're uniquely designed to do.

We all have a personal perspective, purpose and individual gifting.

It's okay to be you, to speak, write, create and shine for Jesus in your own beautiful way.

Our tiny light flares are fanned by faith, fed by God's word and enlarged by His life within us.

As we send out words and deeds to be beacons of hope and light in the world, they are reflections mirroring Christ's work in us, each one enlarges the whole.

"This might be a small candle, but I'll set mine on the lamp stand and you can set yours there too - and maybe our glow will light the path for others" - Sarah Bessey, 'Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith'

Lord of Light and Life,

So often we are blinded by the darkness without

and within, failing to see how to be a light for You.

Take our faltering candle-wick offerings 
and multiply them by Your grace.

Enliven our hearts with the searing fire of Your love.

May we burn with desire to write, create and
live in the light of the freedom You provide.

Shine Your saving Light into every dark and gloomy place,

bringing Hope and Joy to bear instead of despair.

Teach us to be surrendered to You in all we say, think and do.

May our words and deeds shine brightly into the lives of others

as we seek to pour them out for our sisters and brothers.

Amen

Joy is a grateful grace dweller who finds community among the weak and the broken, the edge-dwellers and truth-tellers.

She enjoys having fellowship with poets, writers, mystics and contemplatives as she seeks after God's heart.

You can find her raking for beauty out of ashes at poetryjoy.com and wordsofjoy.me where she writes to encourage others on their journey of life and faith.

She would love to connect with you on her blogs, Twitter, Facebook or Google +