Tonight, after a long day of non-stop activities, I discovered that someone had stollen several accessories off of my bike, including my front headlight and purse/pouch attachment. Yeah, it was a little frustrating; they seem like such dumb things to steal--probably not worth much--but then I thought about the light. Were they thinking that they could be putting the person who owned the bike in danger by taking the light? Did they have a use for the light? Then I think I had some spiritual guidance as I related it to the Light. Was this possibly a way to show someone the Light? At this point, my reaction is about the only way to show God's love, and it took me a little bit to realize this. Before that point, I was in kind of a bad mood. Then it occurred to me:
I'd let them steal my Light. Sure, there was nothing I could do about them stealing my light, but the Light--that was under my control, and I'd let them take it too.
We're called to share the Light, not leave it unguarded and allow others to steal it because then they don't realize what it is worth. Last night, at a race and culture discussion group, we talked about the difference between appropriation and appreciation, and the general consensus was that appropriation takes something--losing its value--while appreciation thanks something--maintains or increases its value. The same goes with sharing/being the Light; in order to guide others to appreciate it, I must value it first, otherwise it becomes some stolen bike headlight, probably sitting turned off in someone's room.
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