Glimmers

My two boys would probably be embarrassed to know I am sharing this story...  Thing is, they like to sleep with a light on. Personally, I need it to be dark to sleep, but they have always wanted a night light... or two or three. Currently, they use a projector that casts stars on the ceiling of their room. Well, last week it died, so I got a new one online. I didn't realize it was fancier than their old one until it arrived. Not only did it cast stars, but also an array of colorful light. And, it plays music.

My younger son wanted to test it out. I was in the kitchen, so he came and plugged it into a plug near me and put the projector on the dining room table. We have a small chandelier over the dining table, and as the light hit the glass in the chandelier, it cast a series of rainbows all over the room - on the walls, the ceiling, and even my son's face. He turned the music on and began dancing in the rainbows.

There was so much joy in that moment that it nearly brought me to tears. It was magical. 

It was a glimmer.

Glimmers are considered the opposite of triggers. Triggers provoke feelings of grief, fear, or anger. Glimmers, on the other hand, inspire feelings of joy, happiness, and contentment. Triggers are negative; glimmers are positive. 

It is easy to feel triggered by the events of today. One can fall into a never-ending pit of despair by focusing on all the bad that is going on and the seeming hopelessness of it all.

Finding the glimmers can be harder. Partly because we have to train ourselves to see them.

There have been a few glimmers this week.

The release of 5-year-old Liam and his dad from detention.

A judge blocking the deportation of 350,000 Haitians who are here with legal Temporary Protective Status (TPS).

Stories of regular people stepping up to help their immigrant neighbors, bringing them groceries so they can stay safe.

Huge protests across the country in solidarity with Minneapolis.

My son, dancing in the rainbows.

The glimmers are there, if we choose to see them. They give us hope. They show us the world isn't all bad. There are still good people out there. There is love and joy out there.

I think we see God in glimmers, too. God told Moses He can't reveal Himself completely to humankind or else we might be so overwhelmed we would die. He reveals Himself rather in the small things - in a kind word said at the right time, or in the generous gesture of a stranger, or in the kiss of a breeze on our cheek. He reveals Himself in nature, in the beauty of our world, like in the colors of the flowers in the field and in the diversity of our fauna and even, yes, in rainbows. He reveals Himself in worship, in the sacraments, in the reading of His Word.

I believe God wants to reveal Himself to us. He wants us to recognize Him and the way He is reaching out to us. Recognizing the glimmers of God and His presence with us also takes practice. The Bible says all good and perfect gifts are from above, so perhaps all the glimmers are gifts from God, little reminders of the kingdom He calls us to, a kingdom where He reigns, where justice and peace rule, and where all have everything they need.

Let the glimmers help pull you through the dark times. Learn to see them. And in them, see Him.

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