One of my
favorite things this time of year is seeing all the beautiful Christmas lights.
I love seeing all the homes and trees decorated, or driving down Janesville and
seeing the electric snowflakes on every streetlamp. Our family has also gotten
quite the collection of our own lights, but over the years those strands have
also gotten burnt out lights here and there. I would switch out the bad ones with
the replacement lights that came with them, but recently I’d run out and I was
getting long sections where the lights had gone dark. I’d begun hanging the
lights strategically to hide the unlit sections, but this year I decided to
declare all out war on the burnt-out lights. I went to the store and bought a
special tool that allowed me to test for voltage on the bulbs, sockets and
fuses. Right after Thanksgiving, I pulled out our tubs of lights and got to
work. Much to my family’s chagrin I plugged in the lights and stretched them
across the house from the dining room, foyer, living room and family room so
that you couldn’t walk anywhere without stepping over wires and lights. I
meticulously started testing each dead section. One by one, I pulled out bulbs,
tested them and either returned them or replaced them. I had chosen one strand
where I knew the lights were good and used that to harvest bulbs that needed to
be replace. It took forever and I must have tested a couple thousand bulbs, but
when I was finished, I did a literal victory dance with my fully lit complete
strands of lights.
I am going
to call this “Heather’s Parable of the Christmas Lights”; in our life we can
also experience burn out. We can also have times where it feels like whole
stretches have gone dark. But there is also a source of light that we can go to
be renewed and restored. Alma 38:9 says, “Behold, [Christ] is the life and
light of the world.” And John 8:12 says, “Jesus, spake unto them, saying, I am
the light of the world: he that folleweth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.”
When I was a
teenager, I loved Michael Mclean and my favorite song was, “Hold on the Light
will come”
Lyrics
The message
of this moment is so clear;
And as certain as the rising of the sun.
If your world is filled with darkness doubt and fear,
Just hold on, Hold on; the light will come.
Everyone who's ever tried and failed
Stands much taller when the victory's won.
And those who've been in darkness for a while
Kneel much longer when the light has come.
It's a lesson ev'ry one of us must learn;
That the answers never come without a fight.
And when it seems you've struggled far too long,
Just hold on, there will be light.
Like pretty
Christmas lights hung on a home for the world to see, it is often through the
actions of others that the light comes into our lives.
In 3 Nephi
18:24 Christ tells the Nephites, “I am the light you shall hold up”. The question
stands then how do we do that? He has commended us to hold up His light for the
world to see, so then how does that metaphor translate into literal action? I
believe that we hold him up when we hold each other up.
Again and again, the scriptures teach us the intertwined principles of loving
God by loving our neighbor.
Jesus said the
greatest commandment is: “‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’
And the
second is like unto it: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’
Verily I say
unto you, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:37–40.)
Mosiah 2:17 “when
ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are
only in the service of your God.
I think
Victor Hugo said it beautifully when he wrote, “To love another person is to
see the face of God.”
In the last
general conference Elder Rasband spoke about holding up the light of Christ by
holding up each other. In his talk he told the scripture story of Moses
standing atop the hill at Rephidim when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites.
While Joshua led their army to fight the Amalekites, Moses stood atop a hill
overlooking the battle (see Ex.
17:9). He raised his hands toward heaven, perhaps in prayerful
supplication. As the Israelites began to prevail, Moses’ arms grew tired, and
he lowered them. The Amalekites then began to win! (see Ex.
17:11). Noticing this trend, Moses’ brother, Aaron, and Hur, rushed forward
to support Moses’ hands so that they might remain raised until sunset and the
winning of the battle.
Story
Elder Rasband
continues, “When we hold up one another we are saying, “I am
here for you, not just to hold up your arms and hands when
they ‘hang down’ but to be a comfort and strength at your side.”
Story
There was a
time of my life where I felt held up by the love and light of others. The story
starts with my amazing mother, who was a single mom who had fought hard to make
sure our family was safe and independent. But when I was 15, she was diagnosed
with cancer. It was so incredibly unfair. After her first surgery, she was dropped
by her health insurance because her required treatments would be too expensive.
Sick and without options, she signed up for an medical research study that
would allow her to receive an experimental treatment in exchange for her
participation. But it would require her to be hospitalized for 6 to 12 months
hundreds of miles away, leaving my 16-year-old brother, me, and my 10-year-old
sister alone. My older brother Jim, who was faithfully serving a mission in New
York came home a couple months early from his mission so that there would be an
adult in the home. He became the temporary parent of 3 very sad and scared
kids. My brothers and I all got jobs to make ends meet. But we were in the
unknown. We were all tired. Those were dark times. Our arms were heavy. Far
away, and alone, my mother’s arms were heavy.
But then the
cavalry showed up. Our ward family rallied for us in an incredible way. The
relief Society brought in meals regularly. They came to the house to clean. We
had an amazin home teacher who did all the house repairs and taught us along
the way. They lifted and served and stood by us. It would take a long time to
name all the names and all the acts of physical service that were given to us. And
then there was the prayers. I remember my mother telling me over the phone that
there were times in the hospital that she could physically feel the prayers of
people sustain her.
This is the
gospel of Jesus Christ. To lift up the weary. To comfort those that stand in
need of comfort. To bear one another’s burdens that they may be…. ‘light’.
I know this
only works in English, but sometimes I take advantage of the word “light” being
a homograph and that it can mean both ‘not heavy’ and also that light meaning a
source of illumination.
When Christ
says, Matthew 11:28 ¶ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke
upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Sometimes I
think that when we yoke ourselves to the Savior and do His work that His burden
really is light. His work is a work of light. By following His example, we are
bringing light to the world. We are holding up His light when we lighten the
load on our brothers and sisters.
I am so
grateful for the Savior. In closing I would like to read a selection from Ian
Simkins:
Emmanuel means God with us
That means
God is with us..
In the ER
During Finals
Changing diapers
In prison
God is with us…
On the first date
During the ugly cry
In the drop-off line
In the divorce lawyer’s office
God is with us
Working the graveyard shift
Working the 12-steps
At the office
At the gym
God is with us
In therapy
At the check out
In the delivery room
Doing dishes
God is with us
On the bus
At the custody hearing
At the table
In AA
God is with us
In the waiting room
During chemo
In recovery
At the funeral
God is with us
At the altar
When we thought we’d be married by now
When “til death due us part” turns into “there is
someone else”
When we’re missing the one who’s not here
God is with us
When the pregnancy test is positive
When it’s negative
When it’s everything we hoped for
When it’s nothing we anticipated
God is with us
When they can’t find the heartbeat
When it’s cancer again
When the kids stop coming home
When they reject what they once believed
God is with us when we’re not sure we believe
When we can’t sing the songs
When we’re frustrated, overwhelmed, betrayed
When we feel like we’re on the outside
God is with us
Today
Tomorrow
On Dec 25th
And every day after
God is not just looking after us
He isn’t merely mindful of us
He’s come to dwell with us
The word did not become a theory to be debated, a
concept to be pondered, or a philosophy to be discussed.
The word became a PERSON to be followed, worshipped,
and loved.
The most high became the most low
That is our hope
That is our peace
And God not only wants to bring peace to you
He wants to bring peace through you
There are people in your life right now whose lives
are broken loved one’s whose dreams have been shattered, co-workers who feel
hopeless.
You have people in your life who have gone through
tragedy and are desperately trying to pick up the pieces.
Jesus said to his followers,
“You are the light of the world”
Let’s bring some light to the world.
Testimony
Christ is the light in my life. When He was on the earth, he brought sight to the blind and healed the deaf and the lame. He even raised the dead. In my life he has shown me things that I was blind to. He woke up my deaf heart and helped me to walk when I didn’t think I could ever get off the floor again. He has even raised my shattered dreams from the dead. He can heal things that are impossibly broken and give hope when there is none. I know that He is real. I know that His power is real. I know that His love is real.
And I say
these things in his name, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
