Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Lamplighter

In days of yore there were men who were employed as Lamplighters in their cities. The street lamps of the day were either candles, oil lamps, or some other wick based lights. Each night the lamplighter would walk into the night and light the way for others. Everyone would be able to see their way due to that lamplighter's illumination.

In the late seventies I attended a convention where one of the speakers challenged each attendee to live their lives as lamplighters showing the way for others to follow. To be the person who didn't hide their light under a basket, who didn't live in the light, but hide it for your own purposes. The challenge was to light the way for others who you saw following, and for others who you may never know you lit their way as well.

This imagery burned into my mind, I knew that I wanted to always live as a lamplighter for those who I could reach out to assist in lighting their ways, and hopefully for many more than I may never know. Through the years I have learned that I am most happy when I am doing just that. If it is trying to show the light for others politically, showing people how to improve their professional situations, or most importantly to see the true Light of the World. It is lighting those lamps that warms the heart.

May I challenge you to light the lamps as you go through life to show the way for others to follow? To be a Lamplighter.