The small pile had been waiting for me for some time. Finally, just the other day, I decided to tackle the stuff and make the pile go away.

To my surprise, I found a little box that I had received at Christmas and apparently, although appreciated, the gift had slipped my mind. The packaging was clear and what was inside proved interesting and quite pretty. It was a solar-powered sun catcher, complete with prism.

I put it in my kitchen window where we get some nice mid-day sunshine. This little gift has proved to be quite lovely and a nice touch to the busiest room in our house. As the sun shines and powers this little prism, it spins and creates a vast array of colors that splash across the walls in the room.

I always have liked sunlight and color coming together, and the facets of the prism create a magical array of beauty — making it all the better. These facets make each light and color and shape a little different, depending on the time of day and the amount of light shining.

This sort of reminds me of the kaleidoscopes I would play with as a girl. I loved those tubes and could spend a good amount of time peering into them as I’d point them toward a light source. Depending on the brightness of the light, I could enjoy bright patterns that would swirl into other shapes; the colors always dazzlingly to behold.

One thing I like about both these toys of my childhood and my current sun catcher is that they are ever-changing, with different patterns, different levels of brightness and different colors to enjoy. And you know, we are instruments of light too.

As Christians, we are to “let our light shine before others so that all may see your good deeds and may glorify your Father in heaven.”

Our light is not the kind to amuse children or decorate a kitchen wall, but is the kind to send forth a quality that all who spend time with us can see that we are different. We are children of God and called to share his message. We are to share his light within us with all we meet.

And much as my prism or kaleidoscope, this light might change from time to time. Some days, we are upbeat and loving life to the utmost; other times, we may be a bit downtrodden and consumed with the worries of this world. But no matter what, we are conduits of God’s love and we must keep that light going as brightly as possible. My prism has many facets and so do I.

The sunshine provides what is necessary for the prism’s light to spew forth. God provides mine and yours, each and every day. The prism collects solar energy from the sun. We collect our energy from God’s word, our prayer and devotional life, our worship experiences, our Bible study, and our interaction with others.

We must always keep our hearts turned toward that source of light so that we can remain energized to share it with others. After all, we are told to “let our lights shine before others …”

Ann Thomas Rinker has lived in Mount Airy for more than 20 years and has written for The Gazette for most of that time. She is married to Roger L. Rinker, a pastor of Light of Christ Lutheran Church in New Market. They have three children and three grandchildren. If you would like to respond to her column, email her at atrinker@verizon.net.