The front page of the WSJ this morning featured a picture of the sun. Our source of daily light and warmth. The word “light” has come to me a lot lately. Feeling light. From the Bible, Let your light so shine before men … A recent allusion of a guiding ray of light from a lighthouse comes to mind. Light vs dark. I heard this recently re the “enlightening” power when making oneself vulnerable.What happens when you crack a smooth enamel veneer? This allows the light (your light) to shine through. Never coincidence, these are messages I never ignore.

Light in the early morning. The brightness of a clear day. Even the light as a computer screen opens. I never take light for granted. I always open my coaching sessions taking measure of the energy, the light coming from my coachie. One has what we call his “Gibometer” … another assesses his level of “buoyancy.” On a scale of 1-10 … what’s the level of light coming through? Let’s me know the tone of our coaching session as it begins.

In 1973 I was attending church in St David’s PA. A small chapel (where my parents were married in 1942!) During the service I happened to pear out through a small stained glass window just to the left of the pulpit. There through the leaves of a large oak tree outside beamed a thin stream of light. A glow came over me. My body warmed. What was happening? As the service progressed, the vision of that small beam of light stayed with me. I finally realized this had been the instant … a flash in time when I believe my faith in God was birthed.

To this day … right now, that thin beam resonates within me. His light had shined upon me that day … forty seven years ago. A friend recently sent me a sermon given by David Brooks, famed author, given at the Washington Cathedral on July 5th. His message, “Beauty in a Storm” brought forth a “light at the end of the tunnel” image for me. There would be … there is always light, beauty amidst the storm. Today. If only we would be open to seeing it. Look for it.

My grandson sent me this memory on my birthday last week. “PopPop, I remember when we were at the Little League World Series last year and I looked sadly at the weather report for the day. ‘70% chance of rain’ You turned to me and said, ‘Jack, that means there is a 30% chance of sunshine.’ A bright sunny day followed. “Light” Like water is free, plentiful.

Think if we had to live our lives in darkness. And all of a sudden light appears. This miracle of life would stun us all. You have a choice each and every day. Will you see the light? Or will you see the darkness. I hope you’ll choose “light”every time.