Tag Archive for: candlestick

Where We Place the Light

All day I’d been talking about candles.
It was Christmas after all, and I felt the house needed some more atmosphere.
That soft warmth and flickering sense of seasonal intention.
Monic, as ever, was very patient with me.
Perhaps I’d been influenced by recent weeks of encouraging others to let their light shine and light the world. Perhaps I was trying to practice what I’d been sharing. Either way, I eventually settled on what felt like the perfect solution.
Candles, set on the bookcase.
Monic gently suggested I be careful.
We then did what many do at Christmas. We sat down together and started a game of Sequence. Cards dealt. Concentration engaged. Festive harmony achieved.
We didn’t get very far, when only a few minutes into the game, Amilya shrieked:
“𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑪𝑨𝑺𝑬 𝑰𝑺 𝑶𝑵 𝑭𝑰𝑹𝑬!
And indeed, it certainly was.
A sudden dash. A moment of collective disbelief. One glass of water deployed with impressive urgency. The flames were extinguished. The danger passed.
The damage, however, was done – a scorched bookcase…
In all our years together, we’ve never had a fire quite like that at home.
And certainly not one caused by an attempt to create cosy Christmas atmosphere.
It turns out that not all light belongs everywhere.
This has become something of a cautionary fun tale in our home.
Good intentions matter, but so does wisdom.
Enthusiasm is powerful, but it still needs boundaries.
And light, for all its goodness, must be placed carefully if it’s truly going to bless rather than burn.
Life and Leadership can be a bit like that.
We encourage people to shine. To bring energy. Passion. Conviction. Light. But timing matters. Context matters. And listening to those around us matters too – especially the calm voice saying, “Just be careful.”
Too much light, in the wrong place, without enough thought, can cause unintended damage – even when my motive was a pure one.
The aim isn’t to dim the light, rather It’s to place it well.
And perhaps… keep a glass of water nearby, just in case! 😉
Whose quiet voice saying “be careful” might be worth listening to today?

The Candlestick

Recently, we discovered that the mission home didn’t have any candlesticks.
Our quest – find an appropriate one!
“What is Christmas without candles” we thought.
In town, we peered through the kringloop window.
Pointing to a Scrooge like candlestick, “I like that one…” I said.
And so, Monic and I walked inside the higgledy-piggledy tardis like little shop.
As we walked around, we gazed upon candlesticks of every size, shape, and material.
Eventually, we settled on the one that we admired in the window.
We purchased our favoured brass candlestick with another smaller one too.
Both were in need of a good polish.
We purchased some brasso and went to work on cleaning them, removing the dirt & grime of the yesteryears.
Why go to all this effort I hear you ask?

Powered by…

Our home, and Christmas tree are decorated with sparkling lights, all powered by electricity.
Jesus said to his followers, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” – John 8:12.
Wouldn’t it be much more powerful I thought, if each of our lives were powered and illuminated by Him, the light of the world?
In a like manner, each Christmas allows us to clean up, polish and rid ourselves of the dirt & grime of the year gone by focusing our heart and mind on the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, so we can enjoy the “light of life.”
He said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16
The one thing our world needs more than anything right now, more than any other, is the 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.
The boundaries of darkness must be pushed back.
Remember, we are the candles of the Lord.
“The spirit of man,” as the scripture says, “is the candle of the Lord.” Proverbs 20:27
This Christmas time, as you turn the lights on at home, or light a flickering candle, remember to polish the light of your spirit, with the great eternal light, even 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖚𝖘 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙.