Be your candle

They keep us pretty busy here at the Dale House Project. In addition to our regular work hours of being “on duty,” we also have meetings Monday and Thursday mornings, take a Gospels Seminary class on Tuesday mornings, and have in-services on Wednesday mornings, where we learn about different things that are related to our job (visiting a jail, learning about drug and alcohol treatment from one therapist that works with a lot of our kids, etc.)

Two weeks ago we had an in-service with Father Anthony. Now if you have been reading the blog, you have heard me talk about Agia Sophia, my favorite coffee shop. Father Anthony was a Young Life area director here in the Springs a while ago and is now a converted Orthodox Priest. Still using his Young Life mentality, Father Anthony started Agia Sophia as sort of his “high school cafeteria” where he could meet people where they are. I loved the place before I even knew that. I had noticed that he hung out there a lot...

We arrived at Father Anthony’s church, where he met us outside. He asked us to enter into the church in silence and retrieve a candle from the left side of the church, light it, and just be silent before God for 5 minutes. After picking up a candle, I realized that I was going to have to light it from a choice of about 5 other candles that were already lit in the front of the church. He didn’t specify where to put our candles, so I just chose one of the lit candles, lit my candle, and then placed it in the sand surrounding this previously lit candle.

After the 5 minutes, Father Anthony began to question us about the candles…why did you put it where you did? Are the candles complaining about where they are? Are they comparing themselves? All these questions seemed silly because, well, they are candles. Father continued to explain his point. “We have something to learn from these candles.  God has placed each one of us in our own respective spot, and there is no shame in being brighter or duller than the others or if you burn faster or slower than the others.  God lovingly knows us and has placed us.” (borrowed from my friend, Jesse’s blog)We are those candles. God has placed us where we are for some reason. It was not an accident. He wants us to shine like those candles wherever we are.

I really have not been able to forget about this analogy. I have been able to share this analogy with three of the residents too, and it has been really cool to see their reaction to it. I want to be like these candles. I want to realize that I am here because the Lord placed me here, among these other candles, to burn like he wants me to burn. Who cares how the other candles around me are burning? I am here to burn for Christ. 

*Pictures are from the prayer room in the basement of my house. When the DHP acquired this building, they made sure there was a small prayer room in the basement that we could use. It is about 6x4 with a prayer bench and this candle stand. It is spectacular!