Shining a Few Feet in Front of Me

It's dark when I get up and as I stumble into the kitchen to make the coffee, there is a chill in the air. Autumn is here and while the days have been fairly warm, the nights are cool. Candles are lit, it's soup and stew weather and this fall is a beautiful one. And of course, that will soon be over and we will move into winter.

Just like the seasons come and go, my life is also a series of ebbs and flows. One week will be a very busy ministry week. Another week will be focused more on home pursuits. And other weeks are a hodge-podge of things.

That was how this week has been. It's been a busy mixture of helping a friend, canning and preserving, cleaning and sewing and finishing assignments for a class. This morning I'm taking a young lady from church out for coffee and this afternoon I have a physical therapy appointment.

The thread that runs through all my days though is the constant desire to be available to be used as God sees fit. Sometimes that lines up with what I would like to do and sometimes it requires me setting aside my agenda and following where He leads that day. Sometimes it's doing something that benefits myself and my family and other times, it's helping and encouraging someone else. 

Just like that little candle only brightens the area around it, I want to shine my light to those in close enough proximity that will feel the warmth and see the brightness that God can bring. I may not light up the whole world or even a small part of it. However, I can be a light to those in my path today.