This little light of mine…

I’m gonna let it shine!

2006 starts off to be a good year.  I became more and more engrossed in my community. It was a time of building relationships…and just living. My neighbors were now my friends…having cook-outs, walking, community civic meetings, etc.  I was now officially ‘Miss Marti’ and the neighborhood kids were now ‘Miss Marti’s Kids’.  It became quite normal to have a bunch of middle and high school boys coming in and out of the house. God had called me to this community…to live…and to love.  Nothing more.

I was encouraged.  The Wall of Crosses have been used more than once.  Shortly after Kevin’s visit, I moved the crosses (begrudgingly) from the front room in the house to my den at the back of the house.  All because I hung a candelabra that would block the view.  On the day of our joint cookout Memorial Day 2006, Nichelle, my next door neighbor, shared with me that her friend wanted to meet me.  I was like “Why does he want to meet me?  He wants to meet the crazy white woman on the corner?”

Come to find out, he had driven down Barton Avenue one evening…in need of a lift, when he looked in my breakfast nook windows and saw my Wall of Crosses in my den….on the other side of the house.  The corner lot has been such a blessing!!!  He stated that the crosses brought him peace and comfort in a time of need.  Now, some would be totally freaked that someone was looking in their house.  Me?  I was thrilled!!  I was wowed at God’s goodness.

I had begrudgingly moved the crosses…grumbling as I put each nail in the wall…due to a stupid candelabra…only to find out that God had something else in store.  Before, you had to come IN my house to see the Crosses.  Now, you could see them OUTside while walking or driving down the road.  That very day, I set my light timer in my den to come on at sunset and to cut off at sunrise, allowing the crosses to be seen 24 hours a day, every day.

It reminds me….how people look at me on the OUTside…they don’t need to look at the INside.  I have some family, friends, neighbors, colleagues who don’t know me up close and personal.  Who don’t necessarily know my heart, because they only see me on the outside.  But…does my outside shine brightly?  Doesn’t that sometimes speak louder than any words?  Is my timer set to shine in the darkness and light the way to the cross?

I pray that my Wall of Crosses…and my life…my home…bring Peace to Southern Barton Heights.  That my life shines BRIGHTLY and points to the Cross.