Feast on the Light
Encouragement to feast on the light from my friend, Cindy:
“Don’t view all that you experience in life through lenses darkened by the scars of abuse (or addictions). There is so much in life that is beautiful. Open the windows of your heart and let the love of the Savior in.” (Richard G. Scott)
I wanted to share this encouraging quote because I don’t agree with those “experts” that say if we were the victims of abuse or other addictive behaviors in our youth, we have to perpetuate those same vices ourselves as adults. I understand how powerful examples are in our lives. I ache to think that some people have sadly never had any good examples to enjoy or emulate. How can they brake a generational cycle of cruelty if they’ve never known any kindness to copy?
However, I have seen my own angel mother forsake her father’s alcoholism so completely, she has lived her entire 84 years running as far away from his miserable example as she could. I am a witness that the destructive actions of others can be willfully forsaken instead of helplessly repeated. A bad example can be just as powerful a motivation to escape from, as a good example can be a beacon of light we run to.
True, to this day, my mother cannot abide listening to country music because of all the painful memories it brings back of her father’s drunken stupors– slouched in his chair listening to his radio. But, that’s okay. Whatever measures it takes to free ourselves from the darkness of our past, is alright with me.
All of us have free agency to choose for ourselves what we will embrace in this life. We have intelligence that enables us to learn from our experiences and choose wisely between the things that make us happy or sad. Most of the things that make us happy are the very same things that make the rest of God’s children happy; things like love, shelter, good health, kindness, forgiveness, encouragement, opportunity, freedom, courage and most of all, a close relationship with the God who made us. Let’s not offer others any of the darkness we’ve tasted and hated ourselves. Let’s feast on the light!
