Are You a Candle or a Mirror?

There are two ways to spread light; to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it. - Edith Wharton

I've been pondering this quote for a couple weeks. I would like to live my life being a candle spreading light by my actions and how I live life. I differ from the belief that what I do does not make me or isn't a part of who I am. I view that as living life as a mirror, all of the good and the bad are reflected off of us and we just exist, not making a difference. Yes, we all make bad choices in life, but those choices were a part of us, of who we were at the time. Are we going to take those bad choices with us when we die, I don’t believe so. Should we be judged for those choices for a lifetime – of course not.

Jesus left a part of himself, a legacy if you will, when he died. Granted, we don't take with us what we have done on earth, but we can leave a legacy after we are gone. I don't want my legacy to be my job, or all of the church committees I've served on, or my whining about being bored or not wanting to get out of bed because I don't feel like it - all of the mundane actions of living - all of the mirrors. I want the candlelight, that I hope I’m spreading, to continue burning through other people. I’m not saying that what I leave has to be enormous or world changing. If I impact one person, in one small way I would be thrilled with that legacy.

I was on my way to work yesterday when I saw a little girl fall off her scooter and tumble into a clump on the sidewalk. I pulled my car off to the side of the road and got out to help her up and make sure she was okay. Will that little girl remember the lady that stopped and helped her one morning before school? Probably not. But someday she may stop and help a child who has fallen or needs aid because of my actions. Will the elderly lady in WalMart remember how I helped her get items off the shelf she couldn’t reach? Probably not. But, maybe, just maybe, someone saw my actions – saw my light shining – and they will choose to help someone. No, I’m not going to take any of this with me when I die, not my bad or good choices, not my acts of anger or of kindness. But I hope, when I leave this earth, I will have passed my light - my light from Jesus - onto someone else and helped to keep their candle burning.

"The people who make a difference are not the ones with the credentials, but the ones with the concern." ~Max Lucado