I love color and I love light. One thing I do, is keep adding or replacing solar lights to my flower garden area. My parents live next door and my dad called it my Christmas lights back when I had the most. We usually leave a couple of lights burning low through the house at night and on those mornings when I was going in to work early I’d leave a light on in the bedroom when I brought Bella inside.
There are so many ways that we can bring light to darkness. The above mentioned of course, opening the curtains or blinds to let the sunlight in is another. I love it when I’m sitting here as the sun comes up and the light fills the room. Rather than be annoyed at the glare I’m excited about seeing another day. There are however more forms of darkness than just the absence of light, there is also the darkness brought on by the absence of other things. Such as the darkness of ignorance. I was upset not long ago by an incident I witnessed. A judgement was made without considering everything. When we educate ourselves fully, when we take the time to understand-fully, when we see that there are more sides than just two, we are bringing light into the darkness. We are seeing that snap judgements are wrong, we are seeing that main reasons for something are not the only reason for something and when we jump, we can and often do cause injury to others. Friendships are damaged and feelings are hurt, at times to the point of being irreparable. People who hear or witness your judgements will walk away with a possibly skewed opinion of you, that is not the usual you. A homeless person may be homeless due to loss of job because said job closed its doors- not just because they are an addict or have a mental illness. That person selling their body on the corner may be someone trapped in human trafficking not just another addict. That person in line ahead of you who is taking so long and seems to need so much more help may have reading problems or eyesight problems. That young mother trying to control several children may actually be raising a relative’s children for what ever reason. Think before you judge and you may not be so quick to condemn. There is the absence of the positive emotions creating a dark heart. There are times we are hurt and we fear allowing ourselves to feel. There are those who are brought up in cold families, who are never shown the loving, caring side of emotions so they don’t know it. We probably all know that person who lives on the dark side of emotions, always angry, always depressed, always seeing the bad side of things, the eternal pessimist. It tends to make them a bit crazy when we’re around and try to show them that there is light, there is a reason to see good. We can’t change a person’s attitude forcefully, but we can show through our actions that not all the world is gloom and doom. We can act with positive emotions while around them and not allow their darkness to invade our light. There is the absence of those negative emotions, hate, anger, fear, greed, envy. The dark emotions cause some to bring pain to others by causing them to act in ways that are wrong. They can feel they have been wronged, or that they deserve what another has, so they think if they remove that person their problem is solved. Some get so wrapped up in the negative emotions they no longer think with any reason and do unreasonable things.
There is the absence of faith. There is reason to believe and live in faith. Real faith, a living relationship, not a religion. To walk in the light of love and compassion without judgement of others. To believe that there is a good reason for everything that happens and that even though we may never in this lifetime understand it, the reason is there. To live, taking care of those around us who need us, even if it is merely checking on them, letting them know they haven’t been forgotten. To offer a drink to someone thirsty, to offer a meal to someone hungry, to offer a kind word to someone hurting…the list could and does go on and on. Its bringing light to a dark world through the heart. Its being a difference in a world of seeing indifference.
Words from The Dirt Road 