How’s Your Light?

How’s Your Light?

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14

Grandma Marge and Grandpa Leejay were getting the house spruced up. Grandpa’s sister, Aunt Althea, was coming into the city for a visit. Aunt Althea was the second oldest child, and Grandpa Leejay was the youngest of ten children. This was Althea’s first visit to the house. She lived out in a rural country area about eighty miles away.

I loved to visit my grandparents’ big white house trimmed in red, especially when company was coming. Grandma was sure to have food for days.

“Here, Lee,” my grandpa called out to my uncle—one of my mom’s two younger brothers. “Take this soap and water and make this porch sparkle.” Grandpa had not seen Aunt Althea in about ten years, as she did not like to travel.

It was about noon when the automobile pulled up to the house. Everyone hugged and kissed. I was only five years old, and this was my first time meeting my great-aunt Althea. Grandpa blessed the table and everyone; about twenty-five family members were there as we broke bread together.

About five o’clock that evening, Aunt Althea went in to take a nice soak. After finishing, she sat and talked a little, then announced that she was off to bed. Grandma had already turned the bed down and placed a glass of water on the lamp table. My uncle Lee passed the room about fifteen minutes after Aunt Althea had gone into the room. She was standing over the lamp. He thought perhaps she was praying. About thirty minutes later, he saw the light was still on.

“Aunt Althea, is everything all right?”

She was still over the lamp, making a blowing sound. “Lee, I can’t seem to blow this candle out.”

Lee smiled and said, “No, Auntie, this is an electric lamp; we just turn it off.”

—Elaine W. Cavalier

Heavenly Father, help me to keep my light shining for you so that others will see their way to you. Amen.