Light On Our Life by Reed Leiting

A month ago, we were down at the Harbor Network Conference. We were driving through the hills of Kentucky right as the changing colors of fall foliage was starting to occur. Instead of cornfields on either side of the road, the road was closely lined with trees as thick as the hair on a dog. But if you’ve ever stepped through the canopy of trees in those heavily wooded areas, you soon see that the foliage and, in many cases, smaller trees have died without being able to access the light.

     I could not help but see the parallels to our lives within these dense wooded areas. The trees that were touched by the light had beautiful foliage. There were tall ones, red ones, short ones, green and yellow ones, and many different species of trees. But despite the trees being so different, they all had a place in the canopy. Just as there is room for us all in the Kingdom of God. The trees were all different and so are we. We are all doing what God has called us to do in our little corner of the world, touching others that God has placed in our path.

     Under the foliage, the light cannot penetrate and the trees stop growing. They lose their foliage and die. The light gives life just as Jesus gives life. He is the light of the world. (Again, Jesus said to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12)  When we step out of the light, we can die also. Not maybe death to our physical lives but certainly our spiritual lives.  Our job is to be sure we are in the Light and that we are pointing others to the Light. We all need help at times to get through the “canopy of life” and into the light. Is there someone today that God is calling you to help through the canopy to access the light?