You may wonder what I mean by that question.

If you are a “lightener,” people who spend time with you will feel refreshed and lighter because you have been with them.

In a Children’s Literature course in my college days, I completed a poetry project and loved Rachel Fields simple little poem entitled “Some People.”  The poem describes well what a lightener is.

“Isn’t it strange some people make You feel so tired inside, Your thoughts begin to shrivel up Like leaves all brown and dried!

But when you’re with some other ones, It’s stranger still to find Your thoughts as thick as fireflies All shiny in your mind!“

Lighteners encourage and come alongside us and we feel better for knowing them. They cue in on others around them instead of having a self-focus. They move on what they observe rather than not notice or simply observe. They usually see what they do for you as nothing special and yet those seemingly small things lift the burden we may be feeling.

Small acts of kindness appear to be the specialty of lighteners. The Holy Spirit seems to prompt them to come alongside us when we thought no one else had noticed what we were feeling or going through. They move into action without being asked oftentimes. They really respond with an empathy that shines the light of Jesus brightly. That brightness stands out because it is not common.

Our lives and schedules, our jobs and ministries, our own issues and concerns can cause us to miss those around us beginning with those with whom we live. It isn’t our intent, but it happens. Sometimes it happens because no one has noticed us and it has left us discouraged and turned our eyes inward. Sometimes it happens because we have given out so long that we are depleted.

As sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, we have difficulty with a balance between doing and being, serving and resting, encouraging and getting encouragement. We need to be recalibrated often by the Holy Spirit within us to balance these divergent needs and responsibilities.

I have learned one thing as I have observed myself with this struggle. If I see a lot of misalignment, it’s because I have set aside time first thing in the morning to sit in my favorite red chair and take some time in the Word with a pen and journal in hand. It can be easy to be too tired, too busy, or too scheduled to feel I can add that to my day. But that exposes the issue. It isn’t about adding it to my day. It’s about how I start my day and add everything else into it.

Even so, each of us needs to have a lightener who touches us, a day, or a circumstance in such a specific way that we are better and lighter for his or her presence.

It can be so easy to be critical. We are immersed in a culture where we are bombarded by critical words and attitudes that can seep into us and leak out of us.

Too often that happens within the context of Christian relationships and circles as well. Sometimes we set a standard for others that fits with biblical teaching absent the mercy and grace Jesus brought us. Satan loves it. He sets it in motion and we go along with his program without sometimes hearing what we have said or how we have said it.

Martin Luther King, Jr. exhorted us all well when he said these words:

“We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools.”

Martin Luther King, Jr

To be a lightener we must break the habit of attaching so much importance to what people say and focus more on what the Lord has said and demonstrated through the life of Christ.

I love how the writer of Hebrews exhorts us:

“Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.”

Hebrews 10:24 (TPT)

As darkness seems to push in from every side it seeks to make a large space for fear to grow in our hearts, minds, and spirits. Little wonder! Darkness makes it difficult to see the path ahead, the position of the enemy and the tools he carries in his quest to conquer us. We can become disoriented in darkness and lose track of whatever light there may be. It happens to us humankind more often than any of us would wish to admit.

We know at the beginning of Creation darkness covered the earth. The Message rendering describes it as “bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness.” That vivid description could open us to despair. But in the very next scene God speaks light upon the world and separates the light from the dark. We cannot miss that throughout all time light and darkness characterize life in this world. We see references to this throughout scripture and allegorical stories and poems. Darkness seeks to overtake the light and defeat it once and for all.

Of all the depictions of this, one stands out for me in our favorite series, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s gift as a master storyteller is at its best in this series that was brought to life in the first film released in 2001. Dramatic scenes unfold as we watch Middle Earth in crisis and evil seeks to overtake everyone and everything. There is but one ring that can rule all the other rings and it must be destroyed in the very place it was made. An unlikely group is formed in a fellowship to make the trek to Mt. Doom. The journey will reveal the character of each, and the hero will not be the strongest in might and brawn. The tools each will take for the battle ahead are significant.

Again and again Tolkien gives us metaphors of light and darkness in the battle for rule. Then as the fellowship begins the long journey to defeat darkness each of them is presented with a gift for the battle and danger ahead. It is a poignant reminder that we should be prepared when we battle darkness even as Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:10-20. Weapons serve us best when we already have tested them and practiced with them before we ever arrive at the battle. Little wonder that David understood that when he went to battle Goliath. (He chose the weapons that were ones he had tested and tried.)

Each of the members of the fellowship wonder at the choice of the weapon that Galadriel gives them. Each has a purpose. The one given to Frodo of light of a star captured in a “phial” reminds all that light is powerful in battling darkness.

Some of you may recall what she says when she hands this gift to Frodo:

Galadriel: “Farewell, Frodo Baggins. I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star … May it be a light for you, in dark places, when all other lights go out.”

J.R.R.Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the Ring”

What does Tolkien want us to see and remember from this metaphor? He knew the darkness of battle from his service in WW I and the despair of trench warfare and certainly his powerful works written after that time were forged from his experience in part.

Perhaps he points us to the truth we see woven in scripture, so we are buoyed for our own battles as we face darkness in our personal lives as well as the world around us.

Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”

John 8:12 (MSG)

The Apostle Paul reminds us of a key point to consider as we battle:

“The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore, let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

Romans 13:12 (NASB)

Scripture reminds us that darkness will increase as we near the time of his return, but if we are his and Christ dwells in our hearts there is still light. And it is a light that cannot be extinguished when all the other lights go out. Little wonder that any and all enemies would seek to cause us to despair and succumb in an attempt to extinguish the light. His beloved disciple, John, reminds us of who Christ is and what He would have us never forget in dark times:

“This in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him.”

1 John 1:5 (MSG)

The message of light for us also is clear in the Psalms:

“For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.”

Psalm 18:28 (NASB)

These words and so many more need to be inscribed on our hearts and challenging our thoughts and fears that may try to assail us. We must also seek to encourage one another as well when we falter and or grow weary. And we must be prepared like the wise virgins that Christ speaks about in the Parable of the Virgins in Matthew 25. Our lamps must be continually filled with oil, and we must be alert for his call.

The pursuit of greatness or success is a trend that has grown over decades and is woven into every culture, nation, business, and organization. The variable is how it is measured but the goal is nearly the same. Often it is measured by wealth, fame, and being at the top of the field you are in. It can be measured by the floor your office is on in the building and whether it is on a corner with great window views, the neighborhood you live in, the size of your portfolio, the titles you have earned, the degrees hanging on your wall – a list too long to include.

Being the best and winning is the target and is often pursued at all costs. We applaud gold medal winners, and we should, but should we not applaud anyone with the courage to compete? We congratulate the promotion and the title, but does that define the person’s character?

Success is not the enemy but our motives for pursuing it might be. Does success mean that average is not valuable? Does finishing the race not count if we don’t come in first?

Is the man or woman who created the statue of a hero less than the person the statue honors?

Is the tender of the grapes less gifted or valuable than the vintner who makes the wine?

Is the farmer who tends the crops and harvests them mean less than the chef who creates menus at 5-star restaurants?

Is the person who builds the sets for the stage production and never seen by the audience less significant than the performers taking curtain calls?

Is the aide at the hospital who scrubs and cleans all the messes of less importance than the acclaimed surgeon who walks the halls?

Is the child who struggles to read less relevant even though he can create musical compositions that astound audiences?

You might say the answers are obvious, but does how we live, who we admire, and what we seek out demonstrate that? The question can be troublesome because our choices and decisions showing what we would deny can creep in. We wait in line for the blockbuster movie, pay prices too high for the most popular concert ticket, want the person with the most outstanding reputation to handle whatever area we need for service of some sort.

To get to that greatness or success we also want the shortest path that doesn’t cut into our time to kick back and relax and enjoy all the good things we hope to achieve.

Most of us have heard references to “the greatest generation”. Do we know who they were and why they were given that prestigious title?

This group were the Americans who were born between 1900 and 1920. They lived through The Great Depression, and many fought in WW II. Those born earliest survived the Spanish Flu epidemic/pandemic of 1918. Their children became the Baby Boomers of today. They were the era of my father and mother along with so many most of us know or can recall.

The bulk of them never went to college and many did not get to finish high school. They worked long hours at hard jobs with few (if any benefits). Vacations were largely unheard of and time off might mean a few hours sitting with neighbors over a glass of lemonade at the end of a long week. They walked more often than they rode to wherever they needed to go. The way they got their news was through the local newspapers that were more news and less opinion. If they had electricity, the radio provided some additional news and sometimes entertainment. They believed hard work was what adult life included and they expected their children to learn to work hard as well despite wanting a better education and life for them. Church and the local school were places where people came together and supported one another with whatever life was handing them. They were no strangers to sacrifice on a daily basis and didn’t shun their responsibility to do so when it was needed. They had lived through poverty and cherished freedom and were willing to lay down their lives to assure freedom would be maintained for them and others who were being denied that same freedom.

The challenges that life dealt them turned them into the “can do” folks that brought about the most profound economic and technological transformation in human history and looked at those things as duty for the privilege of serving and enjoying freedom.

There is little doubt they defined life differently than most of us do today. It’s hard to say that greatness or success were actual goals they verbalized. Their values and principles were of a deeper kind.

As we look at the challenges we face now, what might they tell us and how might they see us and the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren they worked so hard to provide freedom, education, and a decent life for?

Have we forgotten what makes greatness?

The motives of James and John and their mother got exposed when she asked Jesus to give her sons the places of honor on either side of Him. What would that signify to her or them? Would it make them feel as if they were better than the others who were disciples or followers?

Many of us know how He responded to this request.

“But this is not your calling. You will lead by a completely different model. The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others,”

Matthew 20:26 (TPT)

Many of “the greatest generation” seemed to live by that model. It was unlikely they found their jobs (that were often menial) as what defined them or that they shouldn’t have to work that hard or long to get just enough to manage basic needs. That model resulted in greatness and the freedom and privileges many of us have access to today.

They might tell us our idea of greatness is upside down. They didn’t seek to achieve greatness but as they worked hard and sacrificed much it developed character in them and brought them the greatness most of them didn’t expect to get accolades for and can feel embarrassed about if such is given.

What makes it so difficult to take the message of Jesus about rest and apply it to our stress-filled busy lives? Many of us know His message about this and yet we persist. As I look through the rearview mirror, I can see how often I did! The tyranny of the “should’s” and the “ought’s” kept me in tow and their influence was a powerful tool to keep me running like the gerbil on the wheel. Those two words haunted me in every area of my life.

I could tell you the family dynamics and birth order research to explain some of those, but those (though significant) took me down rabbit trails trying harder to be better. As a result of my clinical counseling graduate program, I knew a great deal about healthy boundaries. They added to the things I needed to remember and do. Even the “to do” list that I heard from many Christians added to the stress that came from not feeling good enough. I knew they were good things, but it felt a bit like the Pharisees adding to the law.

What did Paul want me to understand from 2 Corinthians 3:5? That verse is highlighted and underlined in my Bible.

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,”

2 Cor. 3:5 (NASB)

I had felt inadequate much of my life in multiple areas, but my response was to try harder and do more. That would be a good example of how duped I/we could be by the devices Satan has used effectively for thousands of years. Perhaps when I or we do good things or important things, it makes it more difficult to detect his fingerprints on the issue. After all caring for our children, spouses, homes, ministries, jobs, neighbors, family members and friends are all important. We are not to be selfish so we press on.

Jesus tells us to take His yoke when we are weary and heavy-laden. That speaks in direct words to tiredness and stress. Matthew 11:28-30…do we even pause to consider what the verse tells us or what He means?

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Mt. 11:28-30 (NASB)

So why do I/you resist or fear His yoke for what it means?

Hannah Anderson in Humble Roots names the problem for what it is:

“We fear the loss of control. We fear surrender. But we must understand that without protection of a good master, we are not safe. From the manipulation of other masters. From the expectations of society. From ourselves.”

Hannah Anderson

Ah, yes, that annoying nagging issue of control. How often each of us can plead guilty on that one once the Holy Spirit starts turning on the light so we see more clearly. Hannah says we need a “good master” and I can fathom no better one than Jesus. But if I/you are weary, tired, and stressed, is there another ‘master’ in charge driving us? I found it helpful to look at what other ‘masters’ might be at work in my life, those whom I gave too much control. That looks at control from the flip side I tended to view. What I saw was how easily the expectations of those ‘masters’ were behind so much of the unrest I experienced.

I hadn’t intended to give over control to other ‘masters’ who were manipulating nor had I intended to allow expectations of society to take the upper hand. Expectations of myself? I had plenty of those in abundance. By the time I reached this point, I was certain those were ineffectual and added to the drivenness creating the stress and exhaustion.

Hannah’s insightful words in Humble Roots point to the steps needed:

“And so we must respond to Jesus’ call. We must come to Him. We must come to Him and learn (emphasis mine) of His gentleness and humility. We must come to Him to be tamed.”

Hannah Anderson

It’s that time of year again when students at every level are purchasing books and supplies that they need to begin new classes and new courses. Obviously, the number of possible books and supplies can seem endless, but to be prepared for the days ahead each student will need the right books and supplies for this particular season.

I recall this season well as both a mom and a former teacher. It’s a bit like a “rite of passage” as the summer nears its end, but for many of us the love of books we may have developed years ago lingers on. And I confess that I am one of those. If I buy a book, I am always reluctant to ever throw it away so usually I look for a new “home” for it with someone else who may need or enjoy it.

My life has taken many turns and at each one I accumulated a “library” of sorts. When I left teaching, I had stacks of books and materials I knew I would not need or use again. They had been my “tools” of the trade and served me well. There were assessments I found helpful, posters and borders for classroom bulletin boards, and a great many other things. Very few needed to be thrown out because I searched out other new teachers who could benefit from the “tools” and save themselves money in the bargain. (Most teachers spend a lot of money setting up their own classroom beyond what the school may be able to supply.) But I took with me a wealth of experience I had gained in teaching my special education students and relating with their parents and other teachers.

My new turn from teaching to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Independent Marriage and Family Therapist required new and different “tools” for my workplace. Little-by-little I began to acquire a new “library” to help equip me with what I needed. It didn’t take long until the bookshelves in my office were filled to overflowing and bookshelves at home were filling up as well. The result was choosing the very best of these for my office where they would be readily available at a moment’s notice. As a result, those who came to my office and know me well would chuckle as they would tell you their memory of times in my office as I was sitting listening to them. I would turn in my chair and reach for a particular book and a particular spot in the book to share something with them that was exactly the area we had been focusing on. They were often puzzled at how I could do that so easily. Little wonder my difficulty with deciding what to do with the large number of books and resources on those office shelves when I retired 7 years ago. (Our bookshelves at home were already full…my husband reads many as well.)

For me there was no real mystery about what my clients saw me do. I think I have a relationship with most of the books I read (some more than others) and the most significant ones will have places underlined and highlighted or marked with post-it flags to alert me to the exact places I want to remember. Some of those are ones that first ministered to me. Over the course of my careers and life, the Lord has been helping me prepare for each day and season with the things He knew I would need.

He knew the books that would help equip and shape me, the conferences where notes and resource lists would help me. He also knew that when my children were young and I was enjoying staying at home full-time that there was more time to immerse myself in the Bible and what that would do to shape my beliefs, values, confidence, courage, and understanding. When our children went off to school, you could often have found me sitting in my favorite chair reading for big chunks of time. To all of these, the Lord added my experiences as well as those of others who intersected my life along the way. He wasted nothing and taught me the value of not wasting them either.

Those things and that knowledge was what brought a smile to my face as I was reading the Gospel of Matthew in The Message rendering and came to this verse where Jesus is speaking to his disciples:

“He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”

Mt. 13:52 (MSG)

You never really know how what you are reading, watching, listening to, or thinking about will be something the Lord tucks away for one day in the future. You may not even recall that you have it tucked away, but suddenly He can and will often bring it to mind as something for you or someone else at just the right time. You don’t need to be a teacher, counselor, ministry leader, or writer. The Lord delights in using each one of us in some of the most unexpected places and with people we may not even have met until that moment. I love how the writer of Proverbs reminds us of that idea:

“The right word at the right time

    is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,

And a wise friend’s timely reprimand

    is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.”

Proverbs 25:11-13 (MSG)

The Lord wants us to be equipped for what He calls us to be and do, those He wants us to connect with and those He will allow to intersect with us. But the great news is that He is in the business of doing it before we even realize or recognize that He has done it. He is really that GOOD!

You cannot imagine perhaps how whatever is happening in your life today might have use for Him or how what you are reading, watching, or listening to could be a benefit at some future point. But I can tell you from my own lived experience that it is just like Him. I am guessing the boy who showed up on the hillside to listen to Jesus preach and had a small lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish would be the first to jump up and agree!