"... walk in the Light, as He Himself is in the Light..." 1 John 1:7
Walking in the light is important to the life of every mother. Every single season of a mom's life is personally and relationally taxing. Being a godly mother demands our emotional energy, our spiritual wisdom and walk with the Lord, our brains, and our time and resources as we focus on investing love, encouragement, and wisdom into our children's souls. Because the nature of motherhood is to always give out, her mind, soul, and body are always expending resources. If the soul becomes weary, dark, exhausted, and depleted, then she will no longer have anything in her heart from which her children, husband, and friends can draw. There will only be shadows and discouragement instead of enough light to be shared with everyone nearby."
Though I wrote these words many years ago, I know their truth more strongly today than ever!
There are many things that draw life from us. The empty vacuum of the world can suck it out as rush and hurry, darkness and trouble threaten to overwhelm. Negative people, whether those close to us who don't understand and always seem to be questioning our motivations and decisions, or even those we encounter only briefly on the highway, the grocery store or even at church have a definite drawing-off quality all their own. Illness, natural disasters and circumstances beyond our control can assault when we're not expecting it.
And then there are the situations intrinsic to being a mom. A feverish baby will need cuddling and cool baths and doses of medicine, often in the middle of the night. A husband needs a listening ear and attention. The kitchen counters have to be wiped down once in awhile.
If you walk by the stained glass windows above in the middle of the night, they're not very pretty.
Similarly, a soul drained of life doesn't display much beauty. If the light isn't shining within, life isn't shining without.
John 1:4-5 tells us this about Jesus: "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." Mark tells us that Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Then in Matthew we hear that He also said, "You are the light of the world."
If I light an oil lamp, it burns beautifully. But when the oil runs out, the flame disappears. In the same way, we are unable to burn and burn and burn without replenishing the oil in our own lamps. And when we fail to shine, the world suffers. It lacks the beauty we are created to bring to it; the beauty intended to help us lead people to Him.
The light of Jesus in us shines through the multicolored panes of glass that make up our own stained glass windows. It shows the brilliant purples and blues in the pieces that without light look dark and lifeless. It enlivens the golds and reds, makes the greens and oranges glitter. It is the light that brings out the true beauty of the window God is creating in your life.
There's nothing wrong with feeling weary, exhausted and depleted. All of us feel that way sometimes; it is the nature of life in a fallen world.
But Jesus has light for you. You must only slow down long enough to make space to seek Him, reading His word, asking to be filled again with His Spirit. You will find He is always willing and able to flood your soul again with light.
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