Lighting Up the Room

Everyone wants to be remembered for something. The challenge is living a life where people remember you the way you desire. We all see ourselves in a particular way, through our own set of eyes so to speak. We know our hearts and our desires, and, to a certain degree, our rose-colored glasses filter our opinions of ourselves. I believe many of us want to be seen as a person who lights up a room; after all, who doesn’t want to be remembered that way? Didn’t Jesus tell us these words in Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world”? People who light up a room are generally very charismatic, outgoing, and extroverted. The room has light because they are there. People crowd around them, and, generally speaking, when they leave, the light leaves. The focus of these folks, whether they know it or not, is to make people feel good because they are there; after all, they are fun loving and enjoyable to be around. Don’t get me wrong. I am not putting them down or criticizing these types, because I truly believe, for the most part, their motives are completely innocent (at least in the realm of believers). However, for the past five years I have been in the presence of a man who lights up the world around him just as Jesus would have us to. There is no personal gain from his actions, no malice, no forethought. He simply states what he sees, and even though he is legally blind, he has perfect vision of hearts. You see, when he walks into a room, yes, you notice him, yet, more importantly, he notices you—every word a comment or compliment about real circumstances of your life or a gift he sees in you. Not those kinds of gushing compliments that soon become wearing on the mind and cause you to doubt the sincerity of the giver; no, these are personal and private conversations, sincere in origin. His comments also have another ingredient that adds credence to them—love. I would and have imagined that this behavior of his, and his style, is one similar to that of Jesus, particularly when He was alone with His disciples in a small group or quiet setting, able to really be Himself, encouraging and loving, and not afraid to speak truth in love. You see, when Jesus left the world, He left light but not in the form of His direct light, because that type of light is a fading one, dissipating with fading memories of the One who cast it. No, this is a light that brightens a room by lighting up the people. How, you ask? By showing them who they are in Christ, encouraging them, looking at the good in their hearts, overlooking their shortcomings, and seeing them as children of God and giving hope. People who have been in the presence of one such as this are truly changed, and they too can now become one who lights up the room as well as the world around them. I know this because, while I am no longer in the daily presence of this man, I will never forget his ways, his heart, and the way he still to this day will light up a room, one person at a time. He has inspired me and taught me that this is the way a man should live. May I encourage you today to look beyond the shortfalls, trappings, and scars of those you know and come in contact with and begin to light up their world. See them as Jesus sees them. If you can’t, ask for His help. Be an encourager, be different, be a light of the world. After all, Christ is the only one who can offer perfection, and you and I are both far from it here on earth. If we would live each day realizing it, the world will be a better place. Thank you, Dr. Les Blank, for lighting up my world and teaching me how to do the same for others. We could all do better with a little of your sight! “Anyone can cast a shadow; only love can cast a light.” Gene Burroughs