Stretching Toward the Light
Stretching Toward the Light
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”- John 1:5 (NIV)
On my flight to Mexico yesterday, I was scrolling through photos when I came across one I had taken last week of a desert chicory wildflower. Around here, we call it the Texas dandelion.
Over the past few weeks, walking the kids to school, we’ve watched wildflower season gently shift. Maybe you’ve noticed it too. Bluebonnets gave way to buttercups, then pink ladies to Indian blankets. Most recently, Texas Dandelions have appeared, their bright yellow petals like a streak of highlighter across the landscape.
Texas Dandelions are unassuming plants, usually growing low to the ground around 6 to 12 inches high. That is, most of them grow that tall…
Earlier this week, Yoon and I were walking past a tall hedge of bushes when we noticed something unusual. Rising above the top of the hedge of bushes was a single Texas Dandelion that was far taller than any we had seen nearby by probably at least 20 inches.
“Wow! Look at this determined little guy!” I called out to Yoon, who had walked a few yards ahead.
We paused, both a bit amazed.
Unlike its counterparts out in open pastures, this flower hadn’t grown in wide, sunlit fields. It had started in darkness, buried beneath dense suburban shrubs. Somehow, though, it had found just enough glimpse of light and stretched upward, inch by inch, until it broke through into the full brightness of day.
I couldn’t help but think of the opening words of the Gospel of John that we revisit every Christmas Eve:“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”(John 1:5).
That little flower didn’t just survive.It pursued the light.
And isn’t life like that?
Some of us have known light from the beginning, raised in faith, surrounded by truth, growing steadily in open fields. Others have had a different journey, pushing through shadows, straining toward something we could barely see but somehow knew was there.
But we are called to remember that the light is not fragile. It is not easily extinguished. Whether we begin in the open or in the shadows, the same light calls to us and when we reach it, it has the power to bring us fully to life.
Reflection:Where in your life are you being invited to keep stretching toward the light, even if progress feels slow?
Prayer: Gracious God, You are the light that shines in every dark place. Give me perseverance to keep reaching for You, even when the way feels hidden. Help me trust that even small glimpses of Your presence are enough to guide me. And as I grow, let my life reflect Your light to those around me. Amen.
With faith, hope, and love, Eric Smith