Been a hot and humid day, summertime pleasantries in the South. Don’t know about y’all but I’d like for some rain to head our way. We had two little sunshowers this afternoon not even enough to wet the grass’s whistle. The cardinal and finches are flocking to the bird feeders. Four pretty doves, dressed in their gray afternoon tea party dresses, are tip-toeing around in their pink high heels, bobbing their heads as they gossip with each other. A fat little wren is enjoying the blueberry suet. He’s been singing loudly from the porch bannister. I love to watch him lean back, push his chest out and sing to the heavens. He’s a curious fella, too, sitting on my car steering wheel before I rolled up the windows.

Had a guest premier danseu dancing on the zinnia stage this afternoon. I stood quietly by the zinnias and the danseur began his performance right in front of me. The butterfly was a glorious Papilio glaucus, an eastern swallowtail, dressed in dancing leotard of yellow and black. So handsome and dancing so beautifully, opening and closing his wings so gracefully as his slender legs jumped from bloom to bloom.

Reading my quote books today. Roy T. Bennett said, “Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.” Our lives are like a candle. When we are born our candle is lit and it slowly burns throughout our lives. The candle symbolizes the light in our lives and the light of God’s love and faithfulness. Most of us curse the dark as we scramble around trying to find a candle. We have dark times in our lives. I know, I have. I’ve struggled to find a candle and when I finally have a candle lots of times I can’t find a match. I’m trapped in the dark till my faith lights a candle to show me the way.

“All the darkness in the world can’t put out the light of one candle.” — Confucius

God gives us a candle to light our way in the world but we’re responsible to keep that little flame close enough to us to see where we’re going. Proverbs 4 tells us, “Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Our faith lights our way as God’s holy light brightens our world. Psalm 18:28 says, “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.” God urges us to share our spiritual light. Bible scripture tells us to let our light shine “on a candlestick so it gives light to everyone in the house.”

We need to have courage in the dark, lighting our darkness and brightening our world with our own light. A candle that’s melted down has been used with a purpose. A candle not used is wasted potential for warmth and light. St. Francis said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light from a single candle.” A candle only burns once and we only have one life to live. We can show and share our light by living each day with a purpose, showing kindness and compassion to others. Our light burns brightest when we share our faith in God. Lighting other candles doesn’t dim our flame. We all have the capacity to give light to others, to give hope on dark days, to let our lights shine with benevolence and love.

It’s always better to light a candle than to stumble around and curse the darkness. Finding a positive solution when you’re in the darkness of life is always better than dwelling on the negativity. Let God’s grace light your way. Praying to God helps light the candles that bring us back into the sunshine. As the children’s song says, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let is shine.” We all have times when we can be a candle in someone’s darkness. “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared,” Buddha.

Be mindful of shining God’s holy light when someone is walking without light down a dark path. Help them light their candle with God’s holy light as they walk into the sunshine of healing.

“To see a candle’s light one must take it into a dark place.” — Ursula K. Le Guin