Hello, friends!

Our daughter, Hannah (who, unbelievably, is now 13!), told me something this week that really made me think. All of our kids certainly enjoy painting and drawing, but Hannah especially seems to love studying and practicing various forms of art. We gave her watercolor supplies for one of her Christmas gifts, including a book about the techniques of watercolor painting. It was this book that prompted Hannah to tell me what she did.

She and I were talking one morning, and she was telling me about some of the new things she was learning from her reading. One part seemed to be really exciting to her. She said, “Mama, did you know that when people look at a painting, their eyes ALWAYS go to where the light is?” I remembered hearing this at some point in my life, but it was like I was hearing it for the first time when she said it (I think I actually first heard this during one of the many times my siblings and I watched Bob Ross with our Nana — gotta love that guy!). What Hannah said really did get me thinking.

Light.

It’s a word commonly connected to God, especially around this time of the year, as we celebrate Jesus coming into the world. But what about this idea of people looking for the light? Or our eyes going to where the light is? There is a lot of darkness out there. No doubt about that. But we know that there is light, and the light has overcome the darkness, thanks be to God!

When Hannah told me what she did, my heart was stirred profoundly to be someone who walks through my days looking for the light, whose eyes “go to” the light — in people, in situations, and in the world. I want to look and see all that God is doing and be a part of it. The light of the world HAS come, and He is within us, burning and testifying. So, yes, let’s look for the light and let our eyes go to the light, no matter how dim something may appear. And let us also be the ones who carry His light, shining His light into the dark places, to those around us whose hearts are broken. To those who need to know that there is a good God who loves them, and His love is more than enough to cast out their darkness and fill them with His light.

I pass along Hannah’s thoughts, and I hope that they are an encouragement to you all, as they were to me!

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”    — Matthew 4:16

Love to each and every one of you!
Mary Weaver

P.S. Earlier today, Matt found Benjamin at our kids’ play kitchen, “making” a birthday cake for God. When Matt asked him how old God was, Benjamin answered quickly and confidently, “Oh, he’s six.” We’re thinking this may be material for another musing down the road . . .