Leaves have been blowing all over
the yards for weeks now. All the trees in the neighborhood are just about bare –
a few dead leaves wait for a puff of wind to set them sailing.

Then I saw these, hanging from a
bare branch on my neighbor’s tree. Still vibrant, still very much alive.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

As a believer, I want to be like
those leaves. I want to be vibrant and alive in a world where so many are
lifeless.

The faces swarming around me are
blank. Not too many smiles, lots of stress.

I can be colorful. I choose to
shine with joy, peace, and hope.

Most people hurry from day to
day, struggling to live up to the world’s expectations.

I can be vibrant. I choose to
draw on God’s energy and excitement and to focus on God’s purpose for each day.
Life might still be a struggle, but I know God’s in it.

Many folks fall into bed, exhausted
from today and tired out by tomorrow’s to-do-list.

I can dance in the wind.  I choose to spend a few minutes thanking God
for the blessings of the day.

Too many lives are spent striving
for success, searching for happiness, seeking self-worth.

I can be different. I choose to
rest in God’s plan, rejoice in His love, find my worth as His child.

I choose…I choose…I choose…I
choose.

I don’t always make these choices
– but I can.

After all,

I am a branch on the Living Vine.

I’m filled with the Spirit, a
spring of Living Water.

I am a light on a hill!

How have you been blessed by someone who chose to be a light?

Who in your life can you bless by being a vibrant light?