The Lamplighter

Two years ago, we had a gas fireplace installed in our family room.
It was one of those decisions we have never regretted.
The ease with which we can have a fire going at any time has been a blessing.
On a chilly, rainy day, the push of a button starts the fire.

It actually warms the entire house, with a fan that brings the heat back into the room.
With our high ceilings, the warm air rises and reaches the upstairs rooms.
When the ceiling fan goes in the reverse direction, the warm air circulates well.
The favorite seat in the house is near the fire.

About a week ago, I turned off the fireplace before I went to bed.
There is usually one last little poof when the last bit of propane gets burned off.
This particular night I saw a tiny glow coming from the back left corner.
All the workings and the logs are behind glass, but I could still see the little light.

My husband, the engineer, thought that there might be a miniscule leak in the gas line.
A tiny leak that keeps the fire going even though the main fire is out.
There is no danger but it needs to be repaired, he said.
I called to have someone come out to investigate.

I sat and watched that tiny flame for quite some time.
Hardly visible, but it is there nonetheless.
A blue light where the flame is hottest.
An orange-red glow as you go further away from the source.

Except for the fact that I know it needs to be inspected, I appreciated that little flame.
The proverbial statement rang true.
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
It is better to do even our little bit rather than complain about the problem.

One single candle.
One tiny flame.
One life.
Illumination for many.

The house we lived in before this one had a front porch.
The porch lights would be lit at dusk every night.
After I had my fifth child, the sweet women from church brought meals for my family.
When one delivered the meal she prepared, she gave me the greatest compliment.

As I drove up your street, your house was like a beacon of light.
It is so welcoming and inviting.
I smiled and hugged her for both the meal and her sweet words.
Without fanfare, the porch light beckoned to the weary traveler.

Historically, the town employed a lamplighter.
His job was to make sure all the lights were lit at dusk.
Candles or oil were the source of light.
The lamplighter lit them with a wick on a long pole.

Every morning at dawn, the lamplighter came back and reversed his routine.
Illumination, one light at a time.
Gaslights were the preferred method of lighting the town in the early 19th century.
Lamplighters were still employed until the lights began to come on automatically.

It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.
That quote is from The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck.
How the world needs that little light to shine.
How much darker the world is when that little light goes out.

The repairmen have come and gone.
The tiny flame was not a problem at all.
It was the pilot light that is continuously lit by the simple flick of a switch.
This miniscule light warms up the chimney so the fire burns more efficiently.

I suggest you leave the continuous pilot ignition switch on throughout the winter.
That little flame will burn continuously and help the fire ignite quickly.
I like that the CPI switch is there on my fireplace.
I began to think about the CPI switch on my heart.

Am I always lit?
Am I burning continuously for my Lord Jesus so that others see the flame?
Is my one single candle enough illumination for this dark world?
Do I cast enough light so that others see Him?

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:6,7)

Fan into flame the gift of God.
As believers in Jesus, let the light of the Holy Spirit who lives in you burn brightly.
One single candle starts the fire.
Imagine how much light there will be when one candle lights another.

Even a match in a dark room casts enough light to see.
A candle casts even more light.
Two candles that much more.
Soon the light of one flame will light an entire town.

Take the job of Lamplighter seriously.
THE Lamp has come.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

A Lamplighter for the Father’s Glory.
One single flame can start the fire.
One continuous pilot ignition to fan the flame the world needs to see so desperately.
It began with Him; it continues with you.

Are you ready to be a Lamplighter?
Are you ready to be a beacon of light for the weary traveler?
Your one little flame will shine and illuminate the darkness.
Oh, how desperately the world needs to see your flame.