For Christmas, one of my grandchildren received a
fire truck with flashing lights and a real siren. I had a fire truck when I was
a kid. It didn't have the lights and sirens like my grandson's, but it was fun
to play with. The ladder extended to save my plastic men from ferocious fires in
make-believe buildings.
My brothers and I received a lot of gifts. We got board games to play with
during the long and dark Nova Scotia winter evenings. We had: Trouble, Snakes
and Ladders, Monopoly, and Checkers.
I received toy cars to add to my collection. One year "Hot Wheels©" were
popular. The cars raced down a plastic track, spun through a loop, rolled off
the end of the track, and across the floor.
They grew boring.
One gift never failed to amuse me. My aunt gave it to me. It was a flashlight -
a simple flashlight. I was excited when I tore the wrapping paper away and
discovered the gift underneath. It had a shiny metal shaft and fit perfectly in
my small hand. The beam of light played over the walls and ceiling. I could
hardly wait for night.
Most toys break, lose their parts, or are forgotten in dark corners. The
flashlight stayed with me for years. In the dark of night, when I was afraid,
I'd turn it on and feel comforted.
If we lost power, my flashlight would be with me, turning darkness into day. On
foggy nights, its beam was a spotlight, visible for several hundred feet, before
the fog swallowed it up.
The light got me through a lot of scary childhood times.
I grew older. The light broke, but I didn't need it anymore. I found a new light
to guide me. My faith in God became my light.
During one of the worse times, when I lost my wife to illness, the darkness was
deep - no shadows. No moon shined to assist me. I stumbled around blind, not
knowing where to turn. All was dark.
I turned to Him. He lit the way. He guided me.
He gave me a gift. It wasn't a Christmas present. It wasn't a birthday gift. It
was a life gift. It was a new light. It was a light I could hold when times were
dark and I needed comfort.
The light has a name. Her name is Ginny. She's my new wife. She's the light who
glows with His love. Her faith leads me closer to His loving arms. She is the
light guiding me toward an even brighter one.
Michael T. Smith
mtsmith@qwestonline.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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