The Light of the World

   "Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." 

Luke 1:78-79

  Zechariah's prophecy following the birth of his son, John, is one of those verses which leap off the page and into the heart. That's why it bears repeating today. Even though Zechariah spoke these words before Jesus was born, the joy of scripture, of knowing how the story ends, gives the us ability to see prophecies come to fruition. 

  We know Jesus came. We know why He lived and died. We know who sent Him. We are able to sit in the confidence of knowing all of this. It is of great comfort.

  Yesterday brought a wonderful conversation with my boss. There was another situation arise where I felt led to speak up (in public no less!) It was not well received and I was left feeling very uncomfortable with it all. An understatement if there ever was one!

  My boss reached out to check in because she also had concerns about what had happened. She wanted to make sure I was okay. Others who witnessed the exchange reached out, too. This meant a lot.

  I confess to not remembering much of it. My whole body was shaking and I was utterly terrified to say anything at all! (The prayer posted a couple of days ago was a direct result of this situation.)

  It took a couple of days to process the whole thing and I am still working through some of it. There is a great deal of sadness left in the wake of it all.

  We have grown tremendously with many new staff who may not yet fully understand the true nature of peer support. I was blessed to learn the ropes from the best. As one of the few veterans, it's my turn to pass this knowledge on; to nurture a kind, gentle and respectful way of finding connections with people regardless of who they are.

  I also have Jesus as my model because everything we are encouraged and taught to do falls in line with what a life in Christ should look like. I say "should" because we don't always get it right! A Jesus centered life is what enabled me to embrace grace, to see the bigger picture, to recognize their inexperience without resorting to angry defensiveness. He enabled me to meet them where they were at.

  And that's peer support in one sentence. My job has made me a better Christian, my Christian life has made me better at my job. 

  I choose to carry His light of peace in all that I do, in all that I am, in all that I want to be.