The Light of Friends

     "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4)
     "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:20-21)
   
     How thankful I am for Jesus our Light!  And as I've shared before, consider the power of even the smallest light: it dispels darkness!  Light a candle even in the blackest, most oppressive darkness, and the darkness flees.  Light is always stronger than darkness.  Try as it might, darkness can never completely smother the light, for as long as that light stays lit, it's brightness displaces the darkness around it.
     Today when reading these words from John 3, I was reminded of another source of His light-- fellowship.  Isn't it true that any and all of His good gifts are ultimately sources or results of His light?  Love, laughter, beauty, creation, music, Scripture, kindness, chocolate (of course!)--all tiny little beams of light emanating from, and reflecting, "the Father of Lights."  James 1:17--"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."  Thank You Lord for Your manifold gifts of light in our lives: from Jesus The Light to our families, our faith, our friends, our glorious future in heaven, our finances, our food, our sources of fun, and on and on and on!  All little lights--like the happy twinkling of fireflies--all gifts from Jesus, the Light of the World.
     Today, though, I just want to thank the Lord for the gift of friendship.  There is a balm in Gilead: our friends!  How quickly and easily we tend to forget what a treasure they are in our lives.  Or because of busyness, how frequently we forfeit the simple pleasure of laughing and sharing and crying with dear sisters in Christ (well, I'm a girl so they are sisters!  But I'm taking it on faith that the brothers in Christ are just as great for the guys!  Okay, maybe not as great, but still pretty great! Sorry guys, but you go girls!)
     Friends not only brightly reflect another source of Jesus' light, but they also encourage us to come out into the light.  When we get so busy with life that we fail to make time for true fellowship, we can get trapped in our selfishness or our bad attitudes or our fretting.  We can lose sight of the big picture and wander in a fog of petty worries and concerns... stuck in the dark until our friends coax us into the light.  Whew, thank goodness!
         It's just too easy to forego the joys of fellowship in our mad rush to get it all done and get everything crossed off our to do list.  And you know what?  When we do that, we miss the opportunity to walk in the light with friends who will encourage us and strengthen us and challenge us.  Iron sharpens iron, but you gotta get the iron together to accomplish any sharpening!  Iron doesn't get sharpened over Facebook.  Twitter won't do a whit either--the iron sharpening iron requires time and attention and getting together! And our to-do lists will always be there... and always contain far more items than any human could accomplish in a week, much less a day.
     So put aside the lists, the agendas, the laundry, the clutter, the endless chores... and find time for fellowship.  Maybe I should say, make time for fellowship.  Of course, first and foremost fellowship with the Father, but then fellowship with your friends and family.  Take a walk in the light--the light of the Savior and the light of His myriad gifts, especially friendship. Rediscover the joy of sharing and laughing and remembering and thanking... with friends.  To God, the Father of Lights and the Giver of all good gifts, be the glory.