A severe storm came that took the power out of the whole neighborhood I felt my way around the completely dark house, finding my way to the closet. I felt around the closet for candles and found four of them. I lit one of them and there was a soft glow of light all around me. I said, "Isn't light great! Wait till I get you guys out there where you are really needed. I'll have one in the living room so that it'll light up the whole place. I'll also have one in the kitchen so we can grab some snacks later. I will also put one by where the kids are finishing their game; and I'll have one by where I am so i can continue reading my book". Then, I took the candles and was about to head out when he suddenly heard a voice saying, "Now hold it right there!" I thought it was my wife being silly or something but the voice suddenly said again, "Hold it right there!". I then realized that it was one of the candle's speaking to me. It said,
Don't take me out there!"
"What?"
"Don't take me out there."
"What do you mean? Of course I need to take you out there. You're a candle; you're supposed to give light! It's dark out there and it's dangerous when it's dark, you have to light the place up!"
"But you can't take me out . I am not ready. I need more preparation."I couldn't believe my ears. "More preparation??"
"Yeah! I've decided that I need to do some research on this light giving things so I won't go out there and make a bunch of mistakes. You'll be surprised about how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be. I am researching stuff like wind resistance and wind built up. I am actually reading a great book right now on flame display. Have you read it? You might like it."
I replied, "No I have not. But it sounds interesting...Wait! What am I doing? I'm arguing with a candle while my family is out there stumbling in the dark! Okay! You're not the only candle. I'll blow you out and take the other candles."
"We're not going either."
"But you are candles and your job is to give light in dark places!"
"That's what you may think." "But I'm busy", one said, " I am now meditating on the importance of light. It's very enlightening"
"Please guys! I know the importance of studying and meditating but you've been in here for months! Itsn't that enough time to get your wicks straight? What about the other two?
The shorter one said, "I'm not ready either. I'm trying to get my life in order. I'm not stable enough. I lose my temper easily. I guess you can say I'm a bit of a hot-head."
And the last candle with a very pleasent voice said, "I'd like to help. But light in the darkness is not my gift. I am a singer and I sing to the other candles to encourage them to shine more brightly." And without asking permission, it began to sing in a beautiful warm voice of 'This little light of mine'.
And I pleaded with them to come out and light the house up but they couldn't hear me because they were all singing. I considered the insanity of it all; Four healthy candles singing about light but refusing to come out of the closet. I couldn't take it anymore so one by one, I blew them out. They kept singing to the end.
I walked back through the darkness of the house, bumping into the coffee table on the way towards my wife.
"Where are the candle's?" she asked.
"They don't... they won't work. Where did you buy those candles anyway?"
She replied, "Oh. They're church candles. Remember the church that closed down across town? I bought them there."
Then, I understood.
Paraphrased.
by Max Lucado
What are we christians doing now? Are we just church go-er's, singing about sharing God's love or are we out there showing it instead?
Heard this story during sunday sermon. Hope it impacts you as it did to me.
