Lighting The Way!

Lighting the Way!

ILL.- It was at the end of the school year, and a kindergarten teacher was receiving gifts from her pupils.

The florist’s son handed her a gift. She shook it, held it overhead, and said, "I bet I know what it is. Some flowers."

"That’s right!" the boy said, "but how did you know?" "Oh, just a wild guess," she said.

The next pupil was the candy shop owner’s daughter.

The teacher held her gift overhead, shook it, and said, "I bet I can guess what it is. A box of sweets."

"That’s right, but how did you know?" asked the girl. "Oh, just a wild guess," said the teacher.

The next gift was from the son of the liquor store owner. The teacher held the package overhead, but it was leaking. She touched a drop of the leakage with her finger and touched it to her tongue.

"Is it wine?" she asked. "No," the boy replied, with some excitement.

The teacher repeated the process, taking a larger drop of the leakage to her tongue.

"Is it champagne?" she asked.

"No," the boy replied, with more excitement. The teacher took one more taste before declaring, "I give up, what is it?" With great glee, the boy replied, "It’s a puppy!"

I love little kids. Can you picture this little boy’s light shining, his beaming face, him lighting up the world as he is so proud to give his teacher his present. So, I want you to think for a moment. How are we adding light to the world? How are we ‘lighting the way’ for others?

Lighting the Way With Attitude

‘Lighting the way’ is about making a mark, making a difference, ignoring the negative attitudes and opinions of others and being a positive influencer. “Your light” is that special, unique, one-of-a-kind thing that God has deposited in you to make you who you are. As you notice people around you, you can see the people who are lighting up the world, but more so, we tend to notice the persons whose light is nearly snuffed out? You know the ones… foul attitudes and seem to always be in a bad mood? The ones who are hard to be around… the ones we aim to steer clear of. If we are truly choosing to light the way with our attitude it is important to remember, just because we disagree with people does not mean we should hate people, be cruel to people, or shame people— it seems much of society needs to relearn that.

Remember, light is a good reflector, darkness is not. Think about that midnight ride out on your bicycle. Some of you may have to think back a long way… and, let’s pretend there is no moon out that night. In the pitch dark of the night, without any light, are those reflectors on your bicycle any good? No! Not unless there these new-age reflectors with flashers in them. Right? Light is needed for reflection. So, today I challenge you to create that reflection, to ‘light the way’ by choosing a positive attitude, a positive perspective. Your light can be one of the most wonderful parts of your life that reflects your special character, your value, your worth and the way you are going to influence the world by sharing the love of Christ among others.

Lighting the Way with Service and Good Deeds

Illus: In the nineteenth century, lighthouses on the U.S. coasts were tended by lighthouse keepers and their families. If a man who tended the light took ill or became disabled, often the work was then picked up by his wife or children. This was the case of Hosea Lewis. In 1853, Lewis became the keeper of the light on Lime Rock Island in Rhode Island. Just four years later he suffered a stroke and his teenage daughter Ida assumed responsibility for the light. Each day included cleaning the reflectors, trimming the wick, and filling the oil reservoir at sunset and midnight, along with providing for her father’s care.

Because of the long and demanding tasks, Ida was unable to continue her schooling, but daily delivered her siblings to class, whatever the weather, by rowing the 500 yards to the mainland.

In the mid-1800s, it was unusual to see a woman maneuvering a boat, but Ida became well-known for her ability to handle the heavy boat. The teenager gained a measure of fame at age sixteen when she rescued four young men after their boat capsized. She rowed to their aid, hearing their screams as they clung to their overturned craft. On March 29, 1869, Ida saved two drowning servicemen from nearby Fort Adams.

Public knowledge of Ida’s courage spread as far as Washington, inspiring President Ulysses S. Grant to visit Ida at Newport later that year. Ida rescued two more soldiers in early February of 1881. The two soldiers were crossing from Newport to Lime Rock Island on foot when the ice gave way. Ida, the lighthouse keeper, came running with a rope, ignoring peril to herself from the weakened ice, pulling the soldiers to safety. For such an act of bravery and sacrifice, Ida was awarded the U.S. Lifesaving Service’s highest medal.