Clearing the air

Personal Photo: The bright red butterfly that was in our lawn was much too far for a photo. Thankfully, we have been blessed with numerous different butterflies this week. This one was on my mom's lovely tiger lilies, and its stunning wings captivated me for a good amount of time. God's light is what makes this tiger lily bloom, what gives this butterfly life!

It is hard to accept the fact that it is nearly August, and the majority of summer is behind us now. I have found myself wondering where the time went, and why it hasn't exactly felt like summertime to me. I finally realized that it is because I spend most days in an office, that the weather has not been particularly cooperative, and that weekends go by in the blink of an eye. I got to thinking about the weather recently, and a few weeks ago now, Clay and I were driving home from my parents' house and it was incredibly foggy out. He and I spent the better half of the trip talking about how unfamiliar everything felt with the fog around us and the nighttime making it even more difficult to see road signs and other drivers.

Fog has not been uncommon this summer, but it has been less of a natural fog and more of the wildfire smoke that has been affecting our nation. I've been utterly shocked at the impact of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, and seeing the ways in which it turns our backyards, our streets, into something from an apocalyptical movie. I find it so interesting how these smoky days are often juxtaposed with some of the most lovely. In this past week we had storms, haze from the wildfires, and sunny, warm afternoons. On one of the sunny evenings, when Clay and I were outside, I caught sight of a butterfly in our yard. The light had caught its wings, making it a brilliant red against the green backdrop of the lawn. I couldn't help but stare until the butterfly fluttered away, out of my sight. It served as a reminder to me about the power of light, the way it was our friend.

Truth be told, it got my wheels turning a bit, and I began talking with Clay about how disorienting the fog was when we were driving, how hard it is to see during a storm, how unfamiliar everything feels while we are encountering the wildfire sthat Jesusmoke. We explored how much light plays a role, and how we are not so different from the little butterfly flitting across our lawn. God's light makes everything beautiful, makes everything clear, and He does this inside of each of us, and around all of us. Psalm 119:105 tells us that "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." This was the first verse that came to mind when thinking about God's light, how it changes our lives. This Psalm verse tells us directly that God guides us, clarifies our hazy horizon, and brightens our dark world. We are told that we can find refuge and peace in God's word, in His promises to us, in the truth of the Bible. Such a powerful verse, it is the perfect launch into how we can all seek God's light when we are in the darkness, in the fog, in the haze of this world.

As humans, we are destined to have struggles, go through heartache, and have to navigate uncertain waters. Pain, anger, hurt, frustration, and confusion can make the places we know feel unfamiliar, the road signs we look for unclear, and the comfort of normality feel strange, and we can quickly find ourselves panicked, stressed, depressed, and lost in the haze of life. We can feel alone, disoriented, and in danger. However, we are not meant to feel it alone, or let the feeling dominate our lives. John 8:12 states "When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The power of Jesus's words cannot be lost; He tells us that He is the light, that He is the calm in our chaos, the beacon in our storm, the shelter from the rain. There is no mistake that light is equated with purity, joy, clarity, and happiness. Jesus is all of this and more. In this verse, He is comforting us to know that everywhere there is light, there is God. When we remember this in moments of darkness, we can allow Jesus to light our way, bring us out of the dark, to where we can see, to where we can find joy, to where there is clarity. This John verse is particularly special because Jesus is also talking about eternal life. When we go through disorienting storms during our time here on earth, we can remember that the darkness has no power over us, and that we are already alit with the light of life. In this way, even when we struggle, when we are lost, we can remember that if we go to Jesus while on Earth, we will find light, and also that we are always walking with Jesus to Heaven, to the eternal light of life that He has given us.

As mentioned above, we are bound to encounter challenging chapters in life, but clinging to God can help remove the uncertainty and fear that the devil teases us with to try and weaken our faith. I think fear and darkness go hand in hand; even at a young age we fear the darkness. When we feel as though we are in metaphorical darkness, we could be unsure about making the right decision, trusting the right people, or what to do next. It quickly goes from uneasy to scared in such a short amount of time. When we feel this way, it can be helpful to reference Psalm 27:1, which tells us "The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?" Once again, we can see here that light and eternal life are equated. Where there is light, there is life. Here fear is directly addressed, and put in its place as the work of the devil. When we have faith, when we know that we have accepted the gift of salvation, when we believe in the Word of the Lord, we have no reason to be afraid. Rather than be fearful in times of darkness, we can once again prove to the devil that Jesus has defeated darkness, that the Lord is the keeper of our hearts, and that he has failed to overpower our Savior once again. This Psalm verse is one that I tell myself again and again when I am nervous, when I do not feel confident, when I feel so far out of my comfort zone that I struggle to recognize anything familiar. It directly challenges us to remember that no one, and nothing, is more powerful than the light of the Lord, than the gift of salvation.

Clinging to the light of God is critical when we choose to walk with Christ. I want to build upon this concept of light a bit further; just like how God's light can provide clarity and the warmth of familiarity, the comfort of a friend in a confusing space and time, He can also shine His light through us and in us so that we can give glory to His name. Just like my butterfly, God lights us up, instills in us a flame that burns throughout the strongest of winds, the heaviest of rains. Matthew 5:16 reads as follows: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." We have already established that Jesus is the light, meaning that when we represent God, when we demonstrate the Holy Spirit's impact on us, we have the amazing ability to bring people to God's light, to become brilliant in His name.

God's eternal light shines in every single one of us, highlighting the parts that are specially crafted to spread the love of our Heavenly Father. We are called to give Him glory, to be grateful for the gift of eternal life. It brings me to John 1:5, which reads "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This verse applies not only to the beginning portion of this article, but also to the ways in which God shines His light through us as well. Regardless of what we encounter here on earth, of what hardships befall us, we can be comforted to know that Satan will never win. The devil will never be able to put out the light inside of us, and that we are able to bring people to Christ by sharing that light, by spreading His love. Even if we are completely surrounded by that disorienting darkness, because we have the light of Jesus inside of us, we can cling to His gift of eternal life and never be conquered by the devil. Furthermore, we can draw others to His light, bring others to His saving grace.

Thinking of God's light has always been one of the best ways for me to understand God. He is everywhere, He is joy, He is pure. He illuminates our dark world so that we may see, that we will not fall, that we will have clarity in the world we live in. God's light makes sense of the things around us, prevents us from becoming fearful, and lives inside of us so that we are beautiful in His light. When we feel lost in life, confused as to where we are going, and disoriented in familiar routines, we can seek out the Lord, and He will clear up the haze, make straight our paths, and guide us directly where we need to go. During this journey we live every day, we can also have faith that God's light is inside of us, that no one can ever take it away or put it out, and that His light shines not only in us, but through us, so that we become beacons for His glory!