Spreading the Light

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“There are two ways of spreading light;

to be the candle or the mirror

that reflects it.”
~Edith Wharton~

Several years ago I was being interviewed as a candidate to participate in a therapy group made up of women who were going through a time of healing from some traumatic life events. One of the questions the group's facilitator asked me was "what will you contribute to the group?"

It seemed like a strange question at the time, but I replied that I was a good listener and would give whatever I could to the group. After all, I was a Martha - a fixer. I could never be content to just sit and soak up the light and healing from everyone else.

At the time, I had no idea how intense the healing process could be. But as we met together week after week, sharing our stories, our hurts, our concerns, our failures and successes, I learned some valuable lessons about being Christ's light as well as how to absorb it into the darkest hidden places in my own heart:

1. A mirror is coated with silver or other reflective coating on the back. It cannot absorb the light shining on it - it can only reflect it back. Like that mirror, I was good at reflecting Christ's love back at others, but I had never allowed His light and love to penetrate into the deepest recesses of my life where the most hurtful memories lurked in the shadows.

It took all the candle power in that room to finally illuminate my hurts. Their words and actions became the candles that burned away my excuses, my denials and unproductive ways of coping with life so Christ could begin His healing work.

2. After I learned to open up to His light, I learned how to better reflect it back to others through the honest sharing of my heart. I found even when I was at my weakest, His strong light was able to shine through like a candle in a dark room. More than once, I was told that my courage in sharing what I never dared to share before had encouraged and strengthened one of the others in the shadowy places of their journey toward wholeness.

3.There were times when each of our hurts seemed so overwhelming there were no words adequate enough to bring comfort. Those were the times when we took turns mirroring Christ's love to each other- forming a supportive circle of light around the one whose hope and strength seemed to fail. A comforting hug, a listening ear, unconditional acceptance and love reflected His light during those deeply emotional times.

Whether we are the candles or the mirrors that reflect His light - we can only give to others what is inside of us. We have to guard our relationship with Christ so that His light glows in us. And when that light dims, we have to replenish it through prayer, His Word and the support of others around us. Now more than ever before, we need Him and each other in the darkness of the world around us. Lord help us to keep on spreading Your the light to those around us and to future generations.

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