Tag: darkness

Categories
motivation

Decisions and Things That go Bump in the Night

Car with a huge jack o lantern in the trunk for Trunk n treat
Trunk -n- Treat

The days are getting shorter and night appears to have the upper hand as we get closer to Halloween. Things appear to be more sinister too. Last weekend, I witnessed the first smashed pumpkin for the year. Was it a ghost? A goblin? A slap-happy teenager on Saturday night with too much time on his hands, in the wee hours of the morning?

Darkness brings confusion and lets the imagination get out of control. Was that a screaming banshee or a territorial house cat? Is that a spook scurrying across the yard or a skunk? Either way, I wouldn’t investigate if I were you.

The times of darkness are not the times to make informed decisions. You don’t know if what you see is really what your mind is telling you. You can make some assumptions that are very inaccurate. Decisions based on fear rely too much on your survival instinct. Panic sets in. You feel it’s time to either fight or flee.

Wait until the morning. Be patient for the time of the light. The time of darkness may seem like it’s eternal, but the day always follows the night. You may discover that the fifty-foot tall monster you saw last night was just the leafless oak tree in the back yard.

Categories
Inspiration Cartoons

Hope Springs Eternal

Cartoon of two students. A boy says, "Should we abandon all hope, or keep plugging through fourth grade?"At least hope should spring eternal. It’s essential for quality of life. The old saying goes the only things certain are death and taxes. But there are three things that last beyond those certainties: faith, hope and love.

Continue reading “Hope Springs Eternal”
Categories
CHOG News Newsletters

Why should I let my light shine?

cartoon of two men. One says, I would like to let my light shine, But I'm afraid I would be accused of arson.
This cartoon appeared in the January, 2015 CHOG News e-newsletter

 

Thanks to Jesus words in Matthew 5:16, Christians love to go around talking about letting our lights shine. As an introvert, that verse has sounded like a threat to me instead of a dose of encouragement. If I let my light shine, do I reveal something I may later regret? Will I look like a fool because what I shone light on was a nice, little skeleton in someone’s closet?

Then again, whenever I listen to the news and hear the latest doom and gloom about the latest crime, terrorist attack or miscellaneous dirty deed, I realize the world could use a little more brightening.

Should I let my light shine? What’s the alternative? Do I sit around and watch the world get darker and scarier? Or do I do something good with what I have? Should I be concerned someone will take my good deeds and turn them into something horrible like arson?

Dr. Martin Luther King went endured abuse and lost his life in the name of civil rights. If we do good, can we expect abuse? Yes, people who go against the status quo and reveal darkness can expect pushback. But light and love must prevail.

On this Martin Luther King day, I am reminded of one of his quotes:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. at brainyquote.com

Should I let my light shine? Yes, I’ll do the best I can. It’s the only way to drive out the darkness.