Originally this was a note on Facebook I wrote awhile back, but I ahve been observing candles again the past couple of days and this popped into my mind, so I thought I'd share it here :) Enjoy!
So tonight at CLC we each got to light a candle and place it in front of us, which was not a new occurrence as we have done this many times in the past. Breanna was leading us in a reflection, but I was having difficulty concentrating and ended up looking intently at my candle and all the various parts. And then the next thing I know God has put this thought into my head which I have been developing since then.
Our faith is like a candle wick. At the beginning the tip is burning brightly with an intense fire, but then the fire desires more it needs more to survive. So the fire spreads down the wick and this continues each time the fire desires more. So too does our faith. In the beginning we are content and full of joy with the faith that are parents have given us, then we begin to crave more and more. So we seek God more often, in various ways, and through other people until we are once again happy with where we are. Eventually, we will indeed desire more depth in our relationship with God so we once again delve into new facets that we previously had left undiscovered. If the candle is left burning for long enough the whole wick will be consumed and on fire, as it is our goal to always be on fire for and going deeper in our friendship with God.
Also¸ the fire that consumes the candle wick causes the hard wax that it is surrounded by to soften and become more pliable. So too do we cause all of the people who surround us and who we touch to be softened to God and His works and voice, by our testimonies and actions of faith. By sharing our faith and light with others, we are softening them up to God’s hands, so He can work with and through them to soften up themselves and others to Him. As long as the wick is still consumed by the fire the wax will remain pliable, but as soon as the flame is gone or the wax strays away from the flame, the wax will again become hardened. Just like the wax, as soon as we walk away from our faith or we feel that it has been taken from us, we harden our hearts to God and all the joys He brings to us.
The wick is not consumed by the fire in a sense that once the fire has used it is gone, it still remains there as a symbol of where the flame has been and how it has gotten to where it is now. We too do not discard our past faith once we have gotten to a new level, we simply build off of our previous faith so we too can see what has lead us to where we are today and what has shaped us to be who we are now. If our old faith is gotten rid of, our new faith will not have a solid base and would most likely crumble like a building without a foundation.
