“That’s too loud!”  This was exclaimed by Joseph Benton while visiting our home recently.  Joseph is our nine-year-old grandson, who is on the autism spectrum.   Children on the spectrum can have some of their senses heightened, which makes normal things to the average person painful for them.  

Papa Gaylon dropped something that made a loud noise, and Joseph looked at me.  I quickly said to him, “Goodness!  That was loud!”   Joseph repeated, “Goodness, that was loud!”   A few times during the remainder of his visit, Joseph would look at me and say, “Goodness is loud!”  While playing with toys, he would look up at me and say, “Is goodness loud?” 

That is a good question Joseph, “Is goodness loud?”

Joseph’s question caused me to ponder about just how loud goodness is.   There is no goodness louder than the goodness of God.  As a matter of fact, Christians will often say, “God is good all the time, all the time God is good!”

Is it really true that God is good all the time?  Absolutely!  However, there are times that we can lose focus of God’s goodness for many reasons, including when we are in pain, when we are in conflict, when we are depressed, when life is stressful.  It is difficult to focus on the goodness of God when things around us make His goodness seem quiet instead of loud.

One of my favorite ways of taking a picture, is to zero in on the main thing, and let there be a faded background of everything surrounding the main thing.   Are there other things in the picture?  Yes, but they are not the focus.  That is exactly how we stay focused on the goodness of God – intentionally focusing on how loud His goodness really is.

It would be easy for me to let the camera lens of my life focus on having a bad childhood growing up with a very abusive father.  It would be easy for me to focus on the loss of a son.  It would be easy for me to focus on all the ministry cancellations because of COVID 19.  My camera lens often wants to go there.    Then, I take the lens of my life and focus on the goodness of God, and His goodness is loud!

Yes, I was abused many times as a child, but because of the goodness of God, I raised three children who were loved deeply, and now have their own families who live in a loving atmosphere – only because of how loud the goodness of God is!   Yes, I lost a son, but then I look at two sons and eight wonderful grandchildren, and the goodness of God is so loud!  Yes, I had cancellations of ministry and loss of income, but because of the goodness of God, I now teach online, which I love!  I love to teach whole books of the Bible, and through online ministry, I am able to do that.  God’s goodness is so loud!   Yes, I lost income because I could no longer travel, but I have been blown away at the resources God has sent to supply every need.  It has been more than enough.  God’s goodness is loud! 

“Joseph, is goodness loud?  Yes, my dear grandson, goodness is very loud!”

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13

It was time to declutter, so I did that just recently.   Usually, I keep things neat and orderly, but in the busyness or life and the “don’t want to do it now” of life, there were things that needed to be discarded, used, or put away.  

In this process of this cleaning, I found multiple candles that had been given to me, and all were in jars.   Some were in my possession for months, possibly even a couple of years.  I asked myself this question, “Why don’t you ever light these and enjoy the flame and the aroma?  Why do you leave them inside of a glass just to be looked out?  Let the light out, let the fragrance out.”   I decided that one by one I would burn the candles, and I have been doing that. 

My husband said to me last night, “I kind of like having that candle burning.  It sets a good atmosphere and gives off a good aroma.”   Yep, my husband/boyfriend of fifty years noticed the light, the aroma, and a change in atmosphere.

We live in a cluttered time in life.   Social media overload. Cancel culture.  Political division.   Racial division.   Family division.  Our minds are constantly bombarded with the latest story that causes division.   It is really easy to get away from the main thing, isn’t it?   Perhaps it is time to bring out the candles and light them.  It’s time for light.

Matthew 5:14-16. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

The dictionary defines light as something that makes vision possible.  It’s definitely time to light the candles of our lives in the midst of all the clutter.  I could pontificate on this for a while, but I shall simply state as my husband did, “I kind of like having that candle burning.  It sets a good atmosphere and gives off a good aroma.”   

The time is now for Christians, true Christ followers, to stop blending in with the clutter.   Let us dust off our souls and let the flame of God’s presence shine brightly.  Let’s change the atmosphere.  God’s people need to pray, and so many of us have been praying.  What would happen is that was paired with the bright light of God’s presence in our lives?   May we declutter our lives today, get into God’s presence, live brightly in a dark culture, and give off the aroma of the wonderful God we serve.  If a room is totally dark, and a candle is lit, the eyes will be drawn to the light.   Light is powerful. 

What does it mean to let your light shine? It is to live in such a way that our lives can bring clarity in dark places.  God’s people should be the most hope-filled people on the earth.  In a hopeless world, shine with hope, be a hope-filled light.  In all truthfulness, none of us can actually be the light. Just as the moon can only reflect the sun’s light to brighten up a dark night, we too can only reflect the light of the Son, Jesus Christ, to this dark world. Live a life that shines brightly, reflecting the Lord Jesus Christ. Light your candle.

“Arise, shine! Let your light shine for all to see.  For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you!” – Isaiah 60:1