Birthdays, Birth Days, and a Little Bit of Light

 I’m thinking about light today. I’m making my way through Cas Monaco’s Bible study on 1 John, Astonishing Love. It’s strange how you can read the same words over and over, but then one day they hit you – Bam! – in a new way.

First John is all about love and light. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another….” I’ve always loved the imagery of light. When I read these and similar words, I picture myself in a circle of brilliant light surrounded by inky darkness. That light is a safe, comfortable place, full of warmth and, well, light.

What about the light source, though? I tend to picture it out of sight, up above somewhere, but the Bible tells us God is the light source (1 John 1:5). Moreover, Jesus Himself is the light.

“Again Jesus spoke 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).

God in Christ isn’t simply with me, walking in a circle of light cast by some outside source. He is the light. He will always be in the center of that circle of light, because it cannot exist without Him. He is the radiance dispelling the shadows and casting the light in which I walk.

But what does that mean for me? I’m reminded of Paul’s words in Galatians 2: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

Christ lives in me. Christ is the light. I am to walk in the light as He is in the light. So that means…

“You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14)

“…for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8a).

The simple birthday cake looked amazing until all the lemon slices slid off.

Whoa. Ponder that as you walk through your day.

On a more mundane, but still miraculous, note, remember the pregnant cat I mentioned in my post about my daughter’s birthday? Well, I should have waited to publish that post. While I was putting the finishing touches on my daughter’s cake, she called to me, “Autumn is acting strange. She meowing a lot and panting. I think she might be having the kittens.”

By the time my daughter's birthday dinner was ready,
our cat had presented us with three wiggly kittens.

Autumn, of course, is the cat. And yes, I did have to abandon the cake to help the first-time mother give birth. That may or may not have anything to do with the way the cake fell apart later. (Probably not, but we’ll say it did.) I’m sure it’s simply a sign of her inexperience that she chose to give birth not in a provided box or dark hidey-hole somewhere, but right in the middle of the foyer. Also, if you’ve never had to help a cat expel a placenta, it’s just as slimy as it sounds.

My children had various reactions to the wonder of birth. My eldest daughter, receiving such a marvelous birthday gift, said, “I know this is supposed to be the miracle of birth, but it’s kind of gross.”

My youngest daughter, who had been over the moon at the prospect of kittens, exclaimed, “That kitten is more ugly than cute. It’s terrifying!”

My 10-year-old son said, simply, “This is a big day for me.”

By the next morning, we had five newborn balls of fluff.