I love candles. Period. Especially Yankee brand candles. But I have a problem with candles. No, I don’t forget to blow them out. I hoard them. I buy a few at a time and place them on a shelf in my room.
After running out of shelf room I decided that I should start bringing them to work with me. The air happens to get a little stuffy and stagnant and nothing smells as good as a Yankee candle!
Today as I sit at my desk I observed two things with my candle.
#1: It is burning in the middle and not melting the wax on the outside.
and
#2: It won’t stay lit.
History has shown that typically, when something irritates me or causes me to ask the question, “What’s up with that?” a revelation is birthed and sets my wheels a spinning…
When lit, a candle illuminates. When lit, a candle produces a beautiful, soothing aroma.
il·lu·mi·nate
1. to supply or brighten with light; light up.
2. to make lucid or clear; throw light on (a subject).
3. to decorate with lights, as in celebration.
4. to enlighten, as with knowledge.
5. to make resplendent or illustrious: A smile illuminated her face.
6. to decorate (a manuscript, book, etc.) with colors and gold or silver, as was often done in the Middle Ages.
Illuminate is a great word. It is a beautiful word.
We are called to be lights of the world. There are many, many days when I feel like the candle on my desk. The flame is burning, but barely. The wick sparks, but doesn’t catch hold entirely. What does burn, burns down and through the center but the outside wall shows no effect. I sense the flicker, the passion, the desire to illuminate…but lack the motivation to completely ignite. Herein lies the danger…the flame could be extinguished.
Candles typically carry an aroma that they release when the candle is lit.
a·ro·ma
1. an odor arising from spices, plants, cooking, etc., esp. an agreeable odor, fragrance.
2. (of wines and spirits) the odor or bouquet.
3. a pervasive characteristic or quality.
An aroma is pleasant. It is soothing.
The candle at my desk, although barely burning, is still producing an aroma. Faint as it may be, it would pack a punch with a fully ignited wick. As it continues to flicker, but occasionally burn itself out, the aroma of spices is quickly overpowered by the odor of the smoke as it floats through the air.
The interesting word in the definition of aroma, is the word “pervasive” which comes from the word pervade and it means, “to become spread throughout all parts of.”
I want to illuminate. I desire to live my days on this earth in a manner that glorifies my Creator and blesses those I encounter. I want to maintain a passion for serving. I want to pour out encouragement into the lives of others. I want my light to shine brightly, my flame to be radiant, and my illumination to be soothing.
As I sit and think about intertwining the definitions, I come up with the perfect sentence that I want to be defined by and remembered for…
A smile always illuminated her face, and she was pervasive to all who knew her.
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