You are the light of this world.

This little light of mine; I'm gonna let it shine.

Be the light.

Be the light. It was on the shirt we wore multiple times that week. Sometimes I feel like there's such an overwhelming amount of light quotes that I glaze over it without a second thought. While in Nashville, I was reminded the importance of light when eyes are accustomed to darkness.

The group I led volunteered in a low-income community. Between work projects and loving on the kids in the complex, it didn't seem any different from the communities I served while in college. I didn't think anything of it. On the last day, we hosted a block party. Most of the youth from our group played with the kids. I felt led to wander over to a table of adults watching the interaction.

They emphasized how nice it was to have good people visit and asked if we would be back. I listened to a woman describe the violence that occurs at night. How she stays inside and no longer sits on the porch. She no longer sits on the porch, because it's too dangerous. She showed me the scar on her leg from a knife that pierced through her skin from witnessing a fight.

She told me that the kids play outside with no supervision. She told me how anybody can easily drive through the neighborhood and pick them up. She told me that she once got in the wrong car and how messed up things happened. It was then that I deeply sensed the contrast between light and darkness.

We were placed there that week for a reason. God used our group to be that much needed light. To shine in darkness. To deliver truth of love and forgiveness. To say that the messed up things that happened wasn't that woman's fault. To show grace and patience to children that may have never experienced it.

All too often, we shy away from those who are different from us. And we forget how bright our light shines. You have more watts than you realize, and there are people out there living in darkness who are desperately seeking the light that you carry. You just need to step away from what you can comfortably see and have faith that your light will shine through the darkness.