When my parents came through Houston on their way to Iraq in December 2003, they visited my church and shared about the confirmation they received from Psalm 139:9–10 that Iraq was their “far side of the sea.” Verses 11 and 12 continue to say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
Light and honor were two symbols that stood out to me during that Christmas. They also visited my church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service. The whole church is dark, except for one little candle held by the pastor. From anywhere in the worship center, one can see this little candle’s solitary light. Then that single candle lights another candle. Those two candles light two more and so on. Soon the whole church is lit from the light of one tiny candle. I remember looking at Mom. With tears streaming down her face, she turned to me and said, “That is Iraq! It is a dark, dark nation but we are taking in the light of Christ and we are going to light up that nation with the light of Jesus!”
And that is what they set out to do, lighting a few candles so those candles could light others, spreading God’s word.
Also that Christmas, my family enjoyed our holiday tradition of sharing what the Lord had taught us in the past year and what we looked forward to in the coming year. Although my two brothers and I completely supported my parents’ move to Iraq, we were more serious as we shared. My father felt our unspoken concern, and when it was his turn, he said he felt the center of God’s will was the safest place to be and, for them, that was Iraq.
“Plus the worst case scenario,” he said, “is that we get killed and we go to heaven with Stephen! What an honor we would consider that to be!”
Of course, we did not like hearing that, and no one really thought that they would be martyred like Stephen in the Bible. But what a comfort to know my father considered it an honor to be martyred. He considered it an honor to bring light to darkness no matter the cost.
Father, thank you for the honor of bringing light to darkness. Shine brilliantly through me today, casting your glow and spreading your hope.
“But the word of God continued to increase and spread.” (Acts 12:24)