how bright is your light?

Tonight I attended my new Bible study for the first time. I have been helping lead a Bible study for Jr. High girls, but decided that I wanted to further my accountability personally. This is what brought me to a group of individuals that congregated in a circle in the middle of a building. It was after hours and all lights were out except for our area. Among us sat a wide range of personalities, interests, and backgrounds, but we all had one similarity. We love Jesus. Our goal is simply to live like Jesus. I don't think I said anything tonight, but I listened. I've been discovering the beauty of hearing with silent lips. I have nothing more important to say than the words of those around me. Their doctrine was pure. Tonight I wanted to learn. I heard a quote from a guy that I have had a class with everyday for the past few years and talked to only a handful of times. He quoted a classmate in saying, "don't shine your light so bright that it blinds". As a church we often have an unwilling heart to relate to those around us. We force ourselves into a world that doesn't desire our change. Our goal should be to literally illuminate something unmistakable and irreplaceable...something people want. Give them a chance to see this light before blinding them. Shine because it's natural...Jesus did. Love because it's natural...Jesus did. Put yourself in a place to be able to relate...Jesus did. Listen and understand...Jesus did.

a binder, poster, dust pan, and duck tape

It all began at 12:19 A.M. Hearing the swoosh of wings against the still air, my eyes immediately opened and shot towards the ceiling. The shadow of a figure dashed before me and my immediate reaction resembled action i'd practiced many times in middle school during tornado drills. Without thought I ducked and covered as "DADDDYYY" echoed through rooms. Over a year in the new house and we have encountered our first...bat. Of course Dad sprang into action which gave me enough courage to get up and dart to my mother's side. Somehow my room became the prime location for trapping the unwanted mammal. I think Father secretly hoped Willie Mac (the family tabby) would take care of business since he happened to be shut in the room as well. But our loving cat seemed just as dismayed as my moaning mother. Allow me to back up; Dad's game plan was to kill the bat, Mom's game plan for life is to give every single living creature the right to life. This is where the whimpering began from Momma Lu; she didn't want the disgusting black thing to get hurt. So as I took her side we began yelling/crying out to Dad not to hurt it.

12:45

Dad instructed us to be quiet so we didn't wake the neighbors; apparently windows were open. Oops. We'll just sayyyy he couragously and silently entered my room and with heroic strides captured the bat. Somewhere in between all of this Bond-like action Mom fetched him a binder, poster, and duck tape (the dust pan was brought in at the beginning of the mission).

1:00

I was put on door duty. Swift as a bat (pun intended), Dad carried the taped up contraption down the stairs and out the door...and down the block. There was no telling where he was going to stop. Leaning our heads further and further out the front door, I practically fell onto the porch trying to watch my Dad take an early morning stroll with Wilbur (once his life was spared I felt it safe to name him). As the two parted ways Mom simply smiled and said..."Now watch him run". And run he did, becoming one with the motions of poor Wilbur the night first flew into our home.

1:30

The giggling slowed, I became less scared of my room, and to sleep I did return.

the end

sweet dreams my friends,

Kat