The armor of light 2

When God dresses us up in the armor of light we become bearers of light to people who are mired in darkness. Our call is not to desire the light for ourselves, rather we are called to be ones who take light to our neighbors in need.

Looking back I can see that I was measured for my armor of light when I was 12 years old and started working for my mom in our church nursery back home in Georgia. When she taught us what we needed to know to be good nursery workers tending to the little children in our care she said, “No matter the behavior of the children we don’t get parents out of church. Unless you see blood, you jolly the children in your care up when they get sad or misbehave. And if you see blood you come get me, and I’ll decide if we go get their parents.” Then she said, “We probably won’t.”

Someone asked a follow-up question to this lesson, “Mrs. Harrison, why don’t we go get the parents from church when their child gets sad or misbehaves?”

She answered, “Because most of these young parents are run ragged all week long. They are going here and there and everywhere, and they don’t have time or energy to talk to each other much less try to get into a meaningful conversation with God. So, we honor the fact that they’ve managed to drag themselves and their children to church. It’s a miracle that they are here. They’ve got about 45 minutes out of the entire week to get a little space in our church to be quiet and prayerful in hopes of developing a relationship with God. That time is our gift to them. We don’t dare interrupt it. We will do everything in our power not to interrupt that time they have with God.”

“Yes ma’am. So, jolly the children up?”

“Yes, jolly them up.”

I can see now that she was outfitting us with our armor of light. At the tender, rambunctious age of 12 she was equipping us for ministry. All dressed up in our armor of light, we were bearers of light to a marvelous cohort of young parents down in Roswell, Georgia. We simply allowed them a little space where they didn’t have to worry about their children for a few minutes. In the space we created for them, the parents went to church. Isn’t that something? You can do some pretty wild stuff when you’re all dressed up in your armor of light.

Who are you called to bear light to? Put on your armor and go forth!