Let it Shine!

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Just had to get that out of my system.

One of my joys working at the Capitol is the view when I leave the office after dark at the end of an exhausting day and walk across the Capitol grounds. The brilliance of the otuside lighting showcases the granite building while making everything around it recede into the pitch black background. With only a little breeze the Texas flag wil be unfurled, proudly standing guard over the north entrance to the building. When the sight no longer takes my breath away, it will be time to find a new job.

This morning on my drive in, I knew from several miles away that something was not right. Driving along the upper deck of I-35 the lights from the Capitol were not visible. There was the usual red light at the place where the Capitol dome is. Then, there were a few lights coming from the inside of the buildingl. But, the view that takes my breath away was nowhere to be seen. It had been sacrificed as non-essential use of electricity during this winter weather we have been been experiencing.

The extreme cold played havoc with the electric grid. At the same time that we were experiencing record winter usage rates of electricity to keep warm, multiple generation stations across the state were experiencing weather related difficulties. The result was a strain on the electric grid which, unmanaged could have resulted in the entire grid collapsing. The quick fix was to institute rolling blackouts, meaning that pressure would be taken off the system by cutting off power to different areas at different intervals. By relieving drain on the grid, service could then be ensured across the state.

The morning view of the Capitol reminded me of the stark difference between one who lets their “light shine” and one who do not. But, more importantly, it reminded me that people notice when the light isn’t shining. While lighting the Capitol may constitute the use of non-essential electricity, the light of Christ is never non-essential. We should never allow the “weather” of our lives to cause us to sacrifice our light.

Lord, help me to let my light so shine before men that it will glorify You. Amen