A Great Light
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Is. 9:2 NIV
We often hear this verse during the Christmas season related to the coming Christ who would shine His light on all mankind for all time and deliver us from the darkness of tribulation and doom.
This year I feel the impact of this ‘great light’ in a fresh and practical way that has actually changed the way I live my life.
In the space of just a few weeks during a personal crisis I have been transformed by focusing on the light instead of on the darkness of my problem.
“We’ve been gazing at our own “performance” instead of searching for the Divine in us and in all things.”
“If we begin with the positive, and get the issue of core identity absolutely clear, the rest of the journey—even though it isn’t always easy—is by far more natural, more beautiful, more joyful and all-inclusive. What else should the spiritual journey be? When we start in the basement, most people never believe they can even get to the first floor, and they just opt out. Isn’t this obvious at this point in Christian history? Sadly, we clergy became angry guards instead of joyful guides, policing dogma instead of proclaiming the Great Gift which is perfectly hidden and perfectly revealed at the heart of all creation from the very beginning.”
Adapted from Richard Rohr, unpublished “Rhine” talk (Center for Action and Contemplation: 2015).
May this Christmas be one of Great Light in your life, one that will never be extinguished.
Photo by Karen
Karen – you are an inspiration. Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Susan. Blessings.
Merry Christmas Karen , May Gods Blessings
surround you and fill you up!
Thank you, Janet.
Praying for you, Karen. You are a light to so many. love, Heidi
I appreciate your words and your prayers, Heidi.
This is so helpful to me and — I’m sure — to others, Karen! Thank you, Carolyn Curtis
Thank you, Carolyn. So good to hear from you.
Thank you, Karen. For some reason this made me think of something I read in one of my devotional’s this past week. The subject was about what we expect to happen in the future. The writer used the word: HOPE-“have only positive expectations”. Somehow this really stuck with me and I have already had a chance to use it!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
Love to you as always, Margaret
Margaret, what a lovely devo. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you for the light you shine in my life Karen.
Merry Christmas from my home to yours.
🎄Smiles, BRC
Thank you, Beth. You are a shining light yourself and always have been over the years I’ve known you.
Thank you Karen. I’ve had some great teachers and mentors. (Wink.)
Smiles, BRC
So grateful the light shone through – first in you, then in your circumstances. Love you!
Would you change my email address for receiving your blogs to cloewen3@gmail.com, or tell me where to do that. Thank you!
Thanks, Carol. I will take care of the change in email.
Ah dear Karen, you are so right ! I love the thought of the “ Great Light” shining in the dark places. Trent Smith wrote s beautiful song about that . “
“Even in the dark place , His faithfulness remains”
Praying His light will shine brightly on yo during this season .
Ah dear Karen, you are so right ! I love the thought of the “ Great Light” shining in the dark places. Trent Smith wrote s beautiful song about that . “
“Even in the dark places , His faithfulness remains”
Praying His light will shine brightly on you during this season .
Thank you, Etta Mae. And to you, the same.
Thank you, Karen. I read Richard Rohr too. He helps to put everything in prospective. His daily devotionals are inspiring.
So glad to hear you follow Richard Rohr too.
Thank you Karen, I have had to remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the hills and valleys of life there has always been that light at the end of the tunnel.
That light is non-extinguishable. Jesus has always been there for me. In my humaness I was not always aware of it until later.
Prayers to you…have a wonderful Christmas with your family
Joan
Thank you, Joan. I too, found the light later in life but it has never left me since then.