Epiphany

Today is Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas

which tradition holds is the day the wise men

found and worshipped the baby Jesus.

While we know that they actually found Him

nearly two years later and not in the manger,

the point is that they found and worshipped

the Light of the World.

 

I have for many years waited until after Epiphany

to take down my Christmas decorations.

Christmas 2012 going into 2013 was an exception.

I had sadly decided that life would be simpler

if the Christmas decor was down.

On January 1, 2013, my girls came and helped me

put away my Al's last Christmas.

It turned out to be a great blessing on that Epiphany of 2013,

when God revealed His Light to a dying man and a grieving woman.

I won't go into the very intimate details of that evening,

but it was a precious gift from God!

 

Today, I am away from home.

I will not be able to go sit for a while with my Al

and remember the gift of that sacred evening.

But I share this story, probably not for the first time,

because I want to share the Light of the World with you!

 

It seems fitting to me somehow

that God chose Epiphany for the events of that night.

Such darkness in those days, and the days to follow.

Such Light in the midst of it all!

 

You see, God does not desire darkness for us!

We live in a fallen world and darkness is a part of that.

But He is THE Light!

And always, even in the midst of the blackest midnight,

    the deepest cave,

        the blackest hole,

            always, He is there.

It occurs to me that He,

the Light of the World Himself,

cloaks Himself in darkness to provide us Light.

 

Wherever you are today,

whatever your circumstances,

may you see the Light!

 

When Jesus spoke to them again, he said, 

“I am the Light of the World. 

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, 

but will have the light of life.”

                        
~~ John 8:12