A Candle Loses Nothing by Sharing it’s Flame, Mama

Tonight we will talk about how we are called to share the light with our families and the ones God puts in front of us. He chose us to be light-sharers, mama.

Transcript

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Have you ever heard the saying, a light loses nothing by sharing its flame? We're gonna talk about that tonight on Midlight Mamas. It's been on my heart to share this idea because here we are at midlight, which is a light in the middle of the night, or at least that's my hope for it, that it would bring light to the middle of your night, whether that is like physically happening, like it is dark outside and you are taking care of your baby, or if it's a dark time in your life and you need light, or maybe you just need the light of Christ in your life every day, no matter whether it's daylight or nighttime. But my heart is that the light would shine for you in these seasons. And I think about it in relation to Matthew 5, 14 through 16, where Jesus says, We are the light of the world. And we've talked about this verse before on midlight, but like I've said before, sometimes God's word and his verses will overlap or be fresh for today. In fact, they're always fresh for today. But I want to share with you what it says in Matthew 5 and 14 through 16. I'm gonna read it to you. And it says, You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Mama, as I think about this as we are the ones to shine the light for our families, for our spouses, for our babies and our children, and anyone else that God has put in our path on a daily basis, we are called to be this light. But why? Why does Jesus tell us to do that? He says at the very end, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. And I feel like there's been a little bit of a theme going on with the things that God has been showing us lately in these topics and in his word, which is we get the opportunity to be the one to reflect his love and his light and his patience and his goodness to our babies and our families. And I think it's so fitting with the verses that we shared today. The also quote that says, a light loses nothing by sharing its flame. And that quote actually came from a couple of different places. One is Thomas Jefferson, and another one is James Keller. And I just find it interesting, it kind of intrigues me a little bit that a light loses nothing by sharing its flame. And us as mamas, that's our job. Our job is to share the light of Christ with our families. It's also our job as mamas, I think, to share that light with other mamas. Because my heart is that no mama would feel isolated or alone while she is in the trenches of motherhood with her little ones. And this is a place where I would encourage you, mamas, to make sure to get outside of your homes. Make sure to go and join up with other mamas as you can, and even just take a walk with your children and your babies because fresh air and getting outside of our walls, it's so important, as mamas. And I would encourage you to find local mom groups if you can. And you might be thinking right now, the last thing on earth I want to do is get up and leave my house with my baby. And I get it. I live in the Pacific Northwest where everything around us is on fire, and the smoke is so thick, and the oxygen in the air is not good. And so we are forced to be conscientious of leaving the house or staying inside, especially because I have a little one who had RSV when she was little, so her lungs can't really handle the air quality. But I still make sure that we get community by either having people come over and do play dates or just simply getting in the car and going to the library or going to church and just meeting up with other ones because I think it's so important to have community. And mamas, I recognize how difficult this is when you have a little one, and I understand that it's not an easy venture. So just know that I am here to just talk with you on these times that are lonely and quiet. And I also encourage you to find your tribe, find a community of mamas that join with you in the seasons of life because it's kind of a beautiful gift. So tonight I wanted to share with you just the understanding that we are called to be the light in our families, and we're called to be the light in the community around us because through it people can see the love of God in you, and it strengthens their understanding and their faith in God. And I think that's a beautiful thing. Jesus also says in John 1.5 that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Light keeps giving without being overcome. And when God said in the very beginning, let there be light, he was not spending something he would later run out of. Light flows from who he is, and therefore it can flow from who we are because we are connected to him, and he is the one who puts the light in us. And he's also the one that surrounds us with the people who need the light from us, whether that's our little babies or the people around us. God specifically handpicked the people that you are with that come in front of you, that need to hear what you have to say, need to be in your presence. And I love when I think about how incredibly fallible I am and how I have all these quirks, and yet God still said, I choose her to raise up this family. And I'm kind of humbled by that and honored. Maybe you feel the same way. Like, really, God, you're the one who wants me to carry the light for you in this place. But yes, God says, Yes, that is what I choose. And I just want to remind you that God says in his word that we are able to do all things through him who strengthens us. Because we do not do any of this in our own strength. We don't shine light in the darkness, we don't get up in the darkness and take care of our families without his help, because God is the one that gives us the strength. In fact, in the Bible, in Philippians 4 13, it says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. And also in Psalm 46:1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. None of the things that we do are on our own, mamas. We can try, I mean, we can try to do things on our own, but when we choose to allow the light of God in our lives to shine from us, and we choose to allow the Lord to be our strength, then we can be all the things that we need to be for today for our families. And remember, mamas, this is a daily adventure. Today is the day we get to choose who we will serve. And today I choose to serve the Lord and be the light to my families. You can join me in that same thing. We can do it together. So tonight, Mamas, I want to leave you with a blessing from number six, twenty-four through twenty six. And it says, May the Lord bless you and keep you, make his face to shine upon you, be gracious unto you, and give you peace. Amen. Until next time, Mamas. Take care, and we'll talk again soon. Bye bye.