Bright

BRIGHT….Like slits of sunlight peeking through my bedroom window at the crest of the afternoon, like the sunrise yesterday morning that stopped my seven-year-old son mid-sentence as he asked, “Mom, why do you get so excited about sun….?” (He trailed off before he could finish the word sunrise), like the kiss of the brisk January air on my cheeks as I step out my front door for my first walk in 20 days…..His face shines brightly.

Great big inhale…..big giant audible exhale. Do it over and over again….slower and slower until you feel His breath filling your lungs and His gift of life with each in and out.

He’s here: In the waterfall of warm sunlight spilling on our faces through a cold window pane.

He’s also here: In the majesty of that sunrise that I race my son to the kitchen to behold;

He’s also here: In my first walk after Covid, allowing my body to rebuild strength, life, and endurance for the road ahead.

He’s also here: In the inhale-exhale of the breathing that I’ll never take for granted, as my lungs expand and contract with the breath of God, just as He designed them.

The last 20 days were tough.

But the brightness of the Bethlehem star this Christmas outshined the darkness of Covid.

And get this: long after Jesus was born, that star remained as a night light—did you know that the star of Bethlehem was brighter than the brightest full moon?

Look up: He’s given us bright gifts to point us to the One who through eternity will be the only light needed to illuminate all of heaven and earth.

In this already-but-not-yet chronos however, all that shines brightly is simply a reflection of the true Light, who illuminates the darkness though the darkness has yet to understand or overcome it.

Let’s keep our faces lifted to the light.