Puddles of Sunshine

<p>It was a warm summer day and my four-year-old granddaughter Mollie and I were taking a break from playing ball. As we sat on the porch with our glasses of water, Mollie looked out at the yard and said, &ldquo;Look at the puddles of sunshine.&rdquo; The sunlight was filtering through the thick foliage to create a pattern of light amid the dark shadows.</p> <p>Puddle of sunshine. Isn&rsquo;t this a beautiful image for finding hope in dark days? In the midst of what can often be challenging times&mdash;when good news seems in short supply&mdash;instead of concentrating on the shadows, we can focus on the light.</p> <p>The Light has a name&mdash;Jesus. Matthew quoted Isaiah to describe the brightness that came into the world when Jesus arrived: &ldquo;The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned&rdquo; (Matthew 4:16; see also Isaiah 9:2). The effects of sin are all around us as we live in the &ldquo;land of the shadow of death.&rdquo; But shining through that shadow is Jesus, the grand and glorious light of the world (John 1:4&ndash;5).</p> <p>The sunshine of Jesus&rsquo; love and compassion breaks through the shade&mdash;giving us &ldquo;puddles of sunshine&rdquo; to illuminate our day and brighten our hearts with hope.</p>