Gather your family and go for a walk around your neighborhood or get in the car to drive to a local Christmas light display such as City Park, Lafreniere Park, or Kenner City Park near Divine Mercy Parish.
Take some time to simply enjoy time with your family- put your phone away (yes- even for pictures... at least for a few minutes) and soak in some uninterrupted time together.
Have someone read John 8:12 aloud for everyone:
"Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Our eyes are drawn to the light. Even though most of what our eyes see is darkness right now, our eyes automatically focus on the Christmas lights. Look around- most of what you see right now is the night sky and yet you almost forget it's there because you're overwhelmed by the beauty of these tiny lights; lights that are almost insignificant in size compared to the darkness surrounding them. And yet, the Christmas lights are the first thing you notice. If these lights were on in the daytime, you probably would have never seen them on. These lights were made to shine when the world is at its darkest.
For many, this year has been a hard one, full of many moments and seasons of darkness. Where can we find the light? The hope? Jesus reminds us that He is the Light in our dark world. When everything around us seems to be covered in darkness, He is there.
When my oldest daughter gets scared from seeing shadows in her room, I always remind her to "look for the light". It helps her to shift her focus from what is making her scared to something else that brings her comfort.
When our world seems to be covered in shadows, we, too, need to look for the light- THE Light.
Spend some time and "look for the light" in your own life and thank God for how He is continually showing you that He is there with you in the midst of your shadows.
Reflection by Becky Delatte