Thursdays - Devotions for Writers "You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14 NIV)
Are you someone who is affected by the amount of light you receive?
Annette and I live in the Seattle area. If you’ve never been here, it might be easy to assume that it rains ALL the time. Well, that’s just not true. Although it does rain a lot, we don’t have the snow and frigid temperatures that both Annette and I dealt with while growing up in the Midwest. And the sun does frequently show up – well usually . . .
This spring, the western side of this state has experienced unending rain and cloudy weather - for weeks. In the past, rainy days have never bothered me. You get used to throwing on a coat with a hood. During winter months, you snuggle up to the fireplace. In the spring, you curl up with a book or watch a movie.
But after non-ending gloom, I began to feel tired and unmotivated to do anything. I had to force myself to get out of bed and push through the day. That’s unusual for me. I’m pretty driven to accomplish an extensive list of “to-dos” each day. My husband and friends noticed the same thing about themselves. We weren’t depressed. But we did feel closed in and a little down. There just didn’t seem to be any reprieve in sight. One weather forecast after the other dispelled hope that warmer temperatures and clearer skies were in our future.
Then that changed. Summer arrived! Energy levels went up. Attitudes got better. The world became a better and brighter place!
It made me think . . . Many people live under clouds of gloom. They live bogged down, wondering if anything will ever get any better. What they deal with has nothing to do with the weather. It has to do with the struggles of daily life, and the voids they feel in their hearts and souls. Even if the sun is shining, the world can look pretty dreary if you don’t have hope.
We are each called to be a light in the darkness.
One way we can do that is through our writing. Our stories, articles, and devotions can help those who feel like they’re stumbling around in the dark.
We have the responsibility to share God’s love and forgiveness.
We have the privilege of bringing hope to someone who may desperately need it.
Use your God-given gift of writing and be a light.
Dawn
