There is something very comforting about the soft glow of light that streams from underneath a lampshade. It just seems to speak the words, warmth, peace and just all around coziness to me. I always find the sight of a lamp shining through a window to be very welcoming, seeming to say, “Come in, sit a while and find comfort here.”

Last night as I turned onto my street, getting home after dark, I noticed a familiar, warm glow coming from the window of the nice brick home that sits on the corner, as you enter the neighborhood.  The early darkness that comes with the winter season can be somewhat discomforting, and yet, can also bring with it sights that can only truly be appreciated after darkness falls.

This home on the corner has actually given off this glow most evenings for many years, but goes unnoticed during the long daylight hours.  The large window facing the street is dressed with long vertical blinds, usually left slightly open, offering a better display of light.  What appears to be the same lamp with its auburn colored shade and tall, curved base has graced the table sitting near this window, for many years.  I’ve lived on this street for a little over twenty two years, and can remember seeing this lamp’s glow from the time we moved here with our family of five.

So much has changed in those twenty two years. Some, I anticipated, such as my three children growing up and leaving home.  Some, I did not.  Life certainly brings changes. Some are exciting and some can definitely bring on unexpected challenges.  I have a strong feeling that every one of us can attest to this.

The soft, warm glow from the window of this home has actually been a comfort to me over and over again, even though I do not personally know the family that lives there.  Just knowing that this lamp’s glow will greet me as I turn that corner, silently saying “Welcome Home”, seems to gently remind me of God’s love for us and that God sent His Son to be the Light of the World…What a precious glow!! 

January 8, 2016