On the Bright Side

I can't imagine a better beginning—for a book or for Creation itself. But God, the Divine Author, always knows best.

Genesis 1:3–4 is one of the most beautiful, yet densely packed, passages in all of Scripture:

And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.

The most fascinating and humbling truth is that God created light before He created the sun, moon, and stars, the great lights that would later govern the day and night (Genesis 1:14–19).

Allow that to sink in… Before the possibility of sun-kissed skin, before a moon to pull the tides, or stars to enchant and guide, there was light.

Because God spoke.

And when He spoke light into existence, there was rhythm and order—a framework for the world He was creating, reflecting His divine glory.

From beginning to end, this theme of light runs throughout Scripture, culminating perfectly in our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, truly the Light of the World. Time and time again, throughout our lives, Jesus points us back to the Father, and the Father faithfully gives us His light, His presence, and His truth.

From the nightlight in a child's room that can remind them that Jesus is always with them to the swirling seasons of love, loss, and confusion in adulthood, God assures us that we are never alone (Deuteronomy 31:6) and that He will be our guiding Light (John 8:12).

Perhaps that's why the lighthouse has long captured the hearts of Christians. It stands as a powerful reminder that God's steadfast love will faithfully and forever guide us back to a brighter Light.

Shifting Slowly Beneath

Perched stately atop a towering cliff in northern Denmark stands the Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse. Built in 1900, it served as a vital beacon for sailors navigating the wild waters of the North Sea.

But over time, relentless winds carried sand inland, and shifting dunes slowly buried the surrounding buildings, bit by bit. Meanwhile, the North Sea steadily eroded the cliffs beneath the lighthouse, carrying away more of the land that had once seemed so secure.

Finally, on August 1, 1968, the light went out.

Stop for a moment. Imagine holding and gently rolling one tiny grain of sand between your finger and thumb. It seems so very small—but tiny grains add up.

The lighthouse in Denmark wasn't lost in a storm. The land beneath it slowly disappeared, grain by grain, until what once stood firm was eventually overtaken.

Our Small Choices

Just as countless grains of sand slowly reshaped the landscape, our small choices, repeated

over time, shape the direction of our lives. Our habits work the same way. Quietly accumulating, slowly forming the lives we are living and, ultimately, the people we are becoming.

Our cell phones are an excellent example of this.

I'm guessing no one leaves the iPhone store thinking, I can't wait to stare at my phone. To get distracted and neglect the things that matter most, losing moments to connect with my husband, missing precious firsts of my child's life, or losing opportunities to bond with older children.

We simply wake up one morning and realize something is missing.

Our lives are constantly being shaped by thousands of seemingly insignificant choices repeated over, and over, and over again. And in today's world, few influences are as constant or as subtle as the screens we keep in our handbags, in our pockets, or on our bedside tables, always within reach.

Bright colors that dazzle and ding, demanding a response, often with a false promise of connection, comfort, and escape. Maybe it's the constant pull to check an app? Doomscrolling that steals our joy? Endless videos of people we don't even know?

Are we trading meaningful memories for minuscule moments of entertainment? In the long run, are these moments worthy of the time God has entrusted to us?

So, with humble hearts and open hands, let us prayerfully take a closer look at our habits, examining the moments God has graciously given us.

As the sands of our hourglass slowly fall, who or what is receiving the gift of our time?

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. — Psalm 90:12

What are we Holding Onto?

That's truly a question only we can answer. We know what we love, what captures our hearts. We all have our favorite grains of sand... Sand that builds worlds of thoughts. Sands that seem to soothe. I'm certainly not outside of this.

For me, it's ruffles that flow into the colors of a golden sunset, the must-have dress for jasmine tea at a garden party (the one that's probably never going to happen). Or the apricot and cream, double-hexagon-shaped earrings that are eagerly waiting to transform me into a bohemian goddess (a girl can dream). Or those lovely black metal lanterns that give me a solid wink with the promise to complement the sailboat painting above the fireplace.

With a love for art that collides with fashion, the algorithmic gods of Facebook and Pinterest are always beckoning me back. They just know things. Most of the time, I simply daydream as I add things to my cart. Worlds created, but not touched. Besides, shopping is fun!

And the truth is that if my children or I accidentally purchased everything in the cart, my husband might croak. And I'd feel like Santa really did come.

It's just a little shopping, right? Or does it quietly cultivate discontentment, invite distraction, or steal precious time? And sometimes, what starts in the cart ends up on my doorstep (ahem, the metal lanterns).

Shopping in moderation isn't wrong. Neither is scrolling, entertainment, work, research, or learning new things. But none of them should quietly take center stage through mindless habits, building castles only made of sand.

A Solid Foundation

On October 22, 2019, the 120-year-old, 794-ton Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse stood just 20 feet from an eroding North Sea cliff. It was carefully moved 230 feet inland on steel rails. Lifted by hydraulic jacks and guided away from the crashing waves, this remarkable engineering feat saved a beloved national landmark from the consuming tide.

Kjeld Pedersen, the local mason who led the effort, recognized what was happening beneath the lighthouse and acted while there was still time.

Perhaps there is something here for us, too. We don't always notice what is slowly eroding beneath us. Our habits with cell phones—or anything else—rarely arrive with crashing waves. They slip in quietly, grain by grain, until what once seemed insignificant begins to reshape the landscape of our hearts and then our lives. So, before we consume ourselves with what we are building, perhaps we should ask what we are building upon.

Because those small choices become part of the foundation upon which entirely new worlds are built. So let us invite God more deeply into our thoughts and our habits, asking Him to help us hold on to what is good and gently sweep away what is not. We can fully trust Him to rearrange our lives for our good and for His glory.

Jesus—the Light of the world—is never waiting to condemn us for misplaced priorities or imperfect habits. He offers grace. Abundant grace. The kind that patiently changes hearts, wisely directs our attention, and calls us back again, and again, and again.

The Rubjerg Knude lighthouse had to be moved because the ground beneath it was shifting. And perhaps that is the invitation for us: not to fear every shifting grain of sand, but to pay attention to what is really happening in our lives and bring it into the Light, as we return to the One who never changes. For His invitation will never change.

Come closer. Walk in the Light that God declared good from the beginning. And live life on the bright side.

 

3-2-1

3 Scripture Verses, 2 Quotes,

and 1 Question

3 Scripture Verses:    

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15–16

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  Psalm 119:105

When Jesus spoke again to the people, 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

2 Quotes:

“Our attention is our most precious resource.”  - John Mark Comer

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different?” - C. S. Lewis

1 Question to Consider: 

Grain by grain, what are you slowly building, or tearing down in your life?