This Little Light of
Mine …
No one seems to know for certain, the true history behind the lyrics. It has been speculated by many/most to be based upon one or more of the following scriptures:
"You are the light of the
world. A city cannot be hid when situated upon a mountain. Neither do men light a candle and put it
under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in
the house. Likewise, Let your light shine before men, that they may see your
fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens." Matthew
5:14-16
"After lighting a candle, a
person puts it, not in a vault nor under a bushel, but upon a lampstand, that
those stepping in may behold the light." Luke 11:33
In the song, we shine our light so bright that all the world can see, every day, in every way; we are not hiding our light from the world under a bushel basket; we are not letting it dim or go out.
Sometimes though, without our even noticing it, our light begins to dim. When this happens, we often want to retreat from the world, and hide our light. If we allow ourselves to get to this point, we often begin to feel that we are alone in the dark.
It is universally agreed upon that any/all of the following have the ability to dim our light.
- People who are negative/Criticize us
- Negative/critical self-talk
- Being over-tired
- Over committing ourselves to anything
- Agreeing to do things our heart isn’t in
- Acting like a martyr
- Overindulging in junk food, sex, drugs and/or alcohol, etc.
- Being false to our true spirit
- Being stuck in clutter, disorganization and/or confusion.
Keeping our light shining brightly requires personal dedication and commitment. Once we become aware of our own inner light, we need to respect it and honor it, by keeping an eye on it and cherishing it; we need to put the welfare of our inner light above any/all other things. If we do not do this, unwanted dimness has a way of creeping in.
Allowing for some individual variation, here are some things we can do if we find our light starting to dim.
- Listen to Motivational music.
- Watch Motivational videos
- Read Motivational books, articles, etc.
- Spend time with Inspiring, positive people
- Engage in Positive self-talk
- Eat Healthy nutritious food
- Get enough Sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Get plenty of fresh air
- Engage in hobbies/activities that are fun
- Stimulate the Creative part of our brain
- Help someone with something … ANYTHING
- Make a difference
- Move forward on a goal
- Work toward making our Dreams … our Reality
- Live authentically
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence our LOVE automatically liberates others." Speech by Nelson Mandela, written by Marianne Williamson
We can keep our own personal, little light lit and shining brightly, every day, every way. We do have a choice.
Let us choose to be a beacon of light for those who are stumbling or lost in the darkness. Let Your Light Shine (youtube video)
So it is, sealed in trust, faith and truth, in the Sacred
Divine Light/Jesus. Amen
