Today’s Word from Deacon Amy…

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

Consider this a continuation of my last note to you – I referenced the above verse at the end of my message, and I’ve had this verse swirling around in my head and heart since then.

On Tuesday night we, like many of you, lost power in an incredible wind storm. This was not the start to 2021 that we were all hoping for. Our power went out late Tuesday night didn’t come back until Thursday morning. We were in the dark for what seemed like a very long time.

I noticed, though, that outside of my house there was still light shining. When I turned my gaze upward, the stars were more brilliant than I’ve seen in a while. The entire night sky seemed to light up with splashes and dots of brightness. The darkness that I was experiencing at that very moment did not stretch too far. The light was still able to shine through in a remarkable way. It was beautiful.

This past year or so has seemed like an incredibly dark period in our lives. Sometimes, if we can just turn our heads or change our perspective a bit, we can still find a beautiful light shining. Look for the light – find the smiles behind the masks, the helping hands, a good book, or a favorite old movie. There is so much goodness in our world, and so much light.

Soak up the light all around you, and then turn and shine for the world to see. Smile behind your mask, lend a hand to someone in need, call a friend, send a note to a loved one.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

God has been with us since the beginning, and God is still with us today. We have not been abandoned in the darkness. The light is still shining – look for it, and reflect it. We can do this!

Deacon Amy