“When you see that sunset or that panoramic view of God’s finest expressed in nature, and the beauty just takes your breath away, remember it is just a glimpse of the real thing that awaits you in heaven,” Greg Laurie. My niece sent me photos tonight of a gloriously colored sunset at her home, captured as the day’s light dimmed, the kind of sunset that takes your breath and reminds us of God’s presence in our world. You cannot deny God when he creates a gorgeous sunset. As I looked through her photos I thought, this is a view of sunset in heaven. Psalm 13:3 reads, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”

I’m back in the porch swing this morning on my little slice of heaven. Ate my bagel and fruit as I watched the beautiful songbirds wing their way among all the bird feeders in my yard. I just wonder if the birds are curious about the fairy garden in the wheelbarrow. I was afraid the rain might upset the garden but all was well when I checked. Kat left a chewed on frog under the swing today. I told my granddaughter Kat would leave her a gift for all her cat petting. I sent Handley a photo of her prize under the swing.

Oldest brother drove up and visited awhile sitting in the porch swing. We wished for something good for lunch. I gave him a package of bacon and told him to pick a few tomatoes to take home and make a bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich. We quickly remembered we’re not eating lettuce. I’m missing lettuce, too.

I was pondering on my week with my granddaughter and niece thinking how grateful I am for our families’ children. I remembered a quote my Florida friend sent me today. “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer,” Maya Angelou. My pillow of gratitude would be so high I’d have to crawl up on it to kneel. I started listing what I’m grateful for and my list is formidable. Some nights I thank God for being able to see the beautiful colors of the butterflies, the zinnias, and the glorious sunsets.

I’ve been reading about Eleanor Roosevelt today. She has some powerful quotes attributed to her. When she was posthumously awarded the UN Human Rights Prize in 1968 Adlai Stevenson said, “She would rather light candles than curse the darkness and her glow has warmed the world.” What a wonderful compliment.

Our lives are like a candle. When we are born our candle is lit and it slowly burns throughout out lives. The candle symbolizes the light in our lives. 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 struggle in the dark till my faith lights a candle to show me the way.

We need to have courage in the dark and we need to brighten the world with our 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 our light by living each day with a purpose, showing kindness and compassion. Our light burns brightest when we share our faith with others around us. Lighting other candles doesn’t dim our flame. We all have the capacity to give light to others, to give hope on dark days.

As the children’s song says, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let is shine.” Let’s all let our light shine with kindness and love for each other, bringing God’s holy light of hope to those living in darkness.

“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,” — Roy T. Bennett