Finding Light in Times of Darkness - A New Meme

This past Sunday, I had another wonderful Holy Spirit moment. Our Communion song was Christ Be Our Light by Bernadette Farrell. It has been one of my favorite songs since my Contemporary Christian Ensemble days in high school. When our group first introduced it to the congregation, I soloed the verses, w/ the rest of the group joining the refrain. It's such a powerful song & has always held a special place in my heart.

(This video has some incredible photographs & pictures!)

Back to this past Sunday...

I had just returned to our pew to kneel & pray after receiving Christ in the Eucharist. I don't normally sing, preferring to spend that time reflecting on the wonderful gift of Christ I just received. Some days, I will listen to the words of the Communion song & if fitting, incorporate them into my prayers. This was one of those days, especially when verse two came...

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.

Longing for hope, many despair.

Your word alone has pow'r to save us.

Make us your living voice.

Yes, our world is deeply troubled. Many are in such depths of despair that they see no light, only darkness. It doesn't help that we are constantly bombarded by all the bad stuff happening in the world, no matter which media outlet you choose (TV news, magazines, newspapers, or the internet). If something good has happened, it's not newsworthy in an editor's or station manager's eyes. The general public seems to thrive on the bad...the more awful & gory, the better!

During my Communion prayer time, I thank God for the gift of His Son & ask for the strength to carry Him to those I meet through the week. This week, in addition to that prayer, I asked for a way to illuminate His light to the world.

I got a response! YES...a prayer answered almost immediately!

I felt called to start a new weekly meme here on my blog. There is a lot of good stuff happening in this world, despite what we hear & read. This meme is to help us find & celebrate that good. It may not be an easy task, but I feel it is worth it, especially if I can touch just one troubled person in despair.

The guidelines are simple...share a recent story each week of something good. It can be a link or clip from the news (you may have to do a bit of digging, but I KNOW the stories are there!). Or, if you've encountered something in your own personal experiences, you can share those stories, too. Anything that will help bring hope back into troubled times. Post it on your blog & link it up here on my blog. If you don't have a blog, feel free to share your story in the comment section below. 

I will start this next Monday, March 4, & will call this meme Light in the Darkness.

It's said that we humans tend to share negative experiences & stories with more people than we share the good ones. Well, I believe that needs to change. Will you help me?