Looking for the light with Kristina M. Ward
It’s easy to feel suffocated by darkness in the world we live in today. No matter where we turn- the news, social media, even in other people- sadness, chaos, and negativity seem to be the norm. If you are like me and you follow Jesus, we are called to be light. We are called to shine bright the glory and love of our savior in a world covered in darkness. I know, this isn’t always easy. Sometimes, we need a good reminder on HOW to be light.
Today, my friend Kristina M. Ward brings us encouragement through practical ideas of how to seek, find, and reflect light. My bathroom mirror is now covered in sticky notes with her reminders and I’m guessing after you read her words, yours might be too.
You talk about “looking for the light”. In a world that feels heavy, chaotic, and all too often dark, what are some practical habits that keep turning your face toward the light?
The things that keep me turning my face to the light are the very things I resist making time for when life starts to feel heavy. Being outside, engaging a creative outlet, connecting with my husband and children, or gathering with close friends over good conversation. But before I find myself resisting those things, I first am usually neglecting my morning rhythm.
My morning rhythm is simple, and it consists of practical habits that powerfully impact my soul, my mind, and even my physical body. It doesn’t look the same in every season as I adjust to the changes that always come, but essentially it provides space for my overall posture (mind, body, and soul) to be adjusted in the light.
Currently, my morning rhythm looks like making it a point not to touch my phone when I get up in the morning, drinking a huge glass of water before I have coffee, stepping out the front door to take a deep breath of fresh air, sitting down to say a little prayer, opening my bible to read scripture, taking out my pen to write in my journal, and ending with a timer set for 5-10 minutes to read a soulful book. In all, this takes me about ½ hour.
Sometimes kids are running around, while other times it’s quiet and peaceful, but the rhythm is not so much about looking a certain way or having a certain kind of experience, but about simply existing. Meaning is often made in the margin of practice, and light shines brighter when you give it space.
Were you wired to be a light seeker, or is it hard-won battle? What gifts do you have that enable you to fight the temptation to settle in the darkness?
For me to seek the light is always a hard-won battle because it requires me to shift my gaze from myself and onto God. I am hard-wired to preserve myself and default to the things that provide momentary comfort and ease, so submitting my will and taking my thoughts captive is rarely am effortless act.
Community is a huge gift that helps me fight the temptation to settle into darkness. Even when my heart deceives me, it’s only a matter of time before it’s exposed by being in the light of the people around me.
Writing is another gift that helps. It requires me to fully engage my mind, soul, and body in a way that I cannot hide from myself, and as a result, my self-reliant ways surface and I can more easily speak truth into the lies I’m so prone to believe.
As a mom to six, how do you paint your days with colors that turn your family’s attention to the light and moments that just stop and notice?
My children know me as someone who can’t help but point out the sky in the light of a sunrise, the glow of a sunset, or even in the cloud coverage of a rainy day. Because I pay attention to it, they notice it too.
Light is always shining, even when it’s dark out, and ordinary days are colorful, even when they feel mundane. Turning my family’s attention to the light on a daily basis is less about doing something extra, or doing something for them, and more about paying attention myself. Because children are skillfully observant, the best way for me to nurture their attention towards the light is to demonstrate it myself.
With six kids, the invitation to demonstrate turning towards the light often comes in the interruptions and conflicts that arise each day. It might be in bending low and making eye contact, listening, validating feelings, following through with conflict resolution, using respectful words, being vulnerable about my own heart, apologizing, or affirming character. It might even be in sitting in silence, offering a simple hug, or simply giving thanks. But whatever form it takes, demonstrating first requires me to be fully present and engage the moment with them. The color we use to paint our days is a matter of simple and intentional presence.
I tend to cultivate presence in our family by keeping things simple, working as a team, knowing our limits and boundaries, protecting our schedule, weighing commitments, prioritizing time together, and, of course, pulling the kids outside to stare at the way the light illuminates the sky.
