Night light

Not just any night light would do for Zach—or so I learned one night as I tucked my toddler son in bed. As a no-frills parent (for the most part), I’d picked up a cheap, basic-white night light to allay those inevitable fears in the night. For several months it served well. Then came the night it wasn’t good enough. He’d enjoyed a bath with his favorite rubber ducky and “Bucky Beaver” washcloth. We had “story time” and prayed, or as much as possible with a toddler who barely talked. Then, to my surprise at “lights-out,” he fussed about his night light. To answer my “what’s wrong?” he toddled out of bed, found a certain sale catalog in the paper stack, and pointed out to me the ad for a green “glow worm”-character night light.

“You want that?” I asked. His very serious toddler face told me I’d figured it out. “Tomorrow, I’ll go to the store,” I said. “Not tonight.” I wasn’t sure if my voice sounded like the whomp womp womp of adults in Peanuts cartoons, but he seemed assured. How did he ever decide his life wouldn’t be complete without this nightlight? I guess either his dad or I had used this sale circular for lap time reading, maybe to point out names of items in the ad as part of language building. A photo became a “want.” He grew up with that night light glowing for years in his bedroom. It even went to college. Now it’s in a kitchen outlet of the home he shares with his wife. Seeing it when I visit them makes me smile to think of his very young consumer choices.

I also think about my older-adult needs for a “night light.” Yes, I need the “real thing” in the hall for nighttime treks to the bathroom, to keep me from falling over the cat who sometimes sleeps right in the middle of the hall. I also need a spiritual “night light” for life’s dim and dark places. I depend on the assuring presence of One who called Himself the Light of the World, who said He would never leave me nor forsake me.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation,” David proclaimed (Psalm 27:1). Long one of my favorite psalms, it’s full of rich and encouraging images of God’s protection and sustaining power. I consider my unworthiness as the psalmist speaks of God’s searchlight on my heart (verses 7-12). Then I find comfort in the confident claim of God’s trustworthiness in turmoil and trouble, even when the solution to our problems seems slow in coming: “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

My favorite part of the psalm is verse 4, where David writes of gazing “on the beauty of the Lord.” It always makes me pause in wonder of what’s ahead in Heaven. I know this: no night lights needed. All will be bright as we behold the glory of God!