There is Hope in the Flame
By Justin March

“This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.  Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.”

When I was a young boy, growing up in Norfolk, Nebraska, we would experience
some wicked storms.  Lightning that danced in the sky, thunder that shook
the foundations, rains that flooded the streets, blizzards that dumped feet of
snow, and tornadoes that threatened to wreak havoc were commonplace.
There were many times we hunkered down in the basement as the sirens screamed
for everyone to take shelter.  Yet, through the warnings of the deafening
alarms and the fearful voices coming through our televisions and radios, I
never felt afraid until the power went out.

You see, there is no darkness like a house without power in the middle of the
night.  The familiar surroundings become alien as you stumble around
furniture, grope for one another’s hand, and try to find refuge in a safe
space.  Without the guidance of light, the darkness seems to engulf you,
swallow up what you swore was once there, and invoke your wildest fears.
Yet, as the moment approached when I became so scared of what lurked in the
dark, one of my parents would light a candle that would bring just enough light
to settle my emotions.

It was this little flame that would keep the monsters at bay.  It was this
little flame that would allow me to see my family and know everything was
safe.  It was this little flame that would bring us close to enjoy the
warmth as it danced from one side of the wick to the next.  And it was
this little flame that brought hope that the storm would pass, the havoc would
not last forever, and the light would be restored.

In a world that often feels cold and dark, it is this flame I am searching
for.  It has taken many years, but I now understand that I do not have to
cower in the shadows and hide from the monsters.  I do not have to shiver
when the warmth leaves my body or run when I am afraid in the night.  No,
I just need to pick up my Bible, bow my head in prayer, and spend time with the
loving people God has surrounded me with.  And when I take the time to
allow Him to guide me with His everlasting flame, my life brightens up with a
light full of hope, forgiveness, and grace that this world does it best to try
to hide from me.

We are in the season of Advent and it feels like a good time to make sure your
flame is ignited.  For those without guidance from our Savior above, this
time of year can become stressful, lonely, and dark.  So, it is up to us
to make sure our lights shine bright.  It is up to us to spread the story
of Jesus’ miraculous birth.  And it is up to us to forgive, love, extend
grace, and treat others with kindness so the flames never extinguish.

There is hope in the flame, and it is up to us to keep it burning.  It is
up to us to light one another’s wick so the love can spread like
wildfire.  And it is up to us to make sure we take care of one another so
the darkness does not engulf our happiness or our belief in the good of
mankind.  God’s light will overcome anything the evil forces emerge from
the shadows.  So, let His light shine upon you.  Allow God to take
the wheel and drive you along the path He has created.  And let His flame
ignite a fire inside you that sparks others to draw near to His teachings, so
they too can enjoy the everlasting light that will come once our time on this
Earth ends!