Heartlight

Daily Gratitude Year 7 - Day 89: Today, I am grateful for heartlight. 

Remember E.T.? It is a classic 1982 film by Steven Spielberg. It is about a little boy, Elliott, who finds an alien accidently left behind by his family on the strange planet Earth. 

From the film, the candy, Reese's Pieces, made their way into our hearts along with the lost and scared little alien and Elliott. Neil Diamond's song, "Heartlight", was a huge hit from the soundtrack. (My Earworm is singing it loudly.)

"He's lookin' for home
'Cause everyone needs a place
And home's the most excellent place of all
And I'll be right here if you should call me

Turn on your heartlight
Let it shine wherever you go
Let it make a happy glow

For all the world to see"

E.T.'s heartlight would glow brightly when he was in communication with the spaceship and his family.  It, also, glowed when Elliott's love provided the power to resurrect ET when they thought he had died. ET longed for home, but his time in the human world brought him new friendships and a new family. 

The poignant scene where they are saying "Goodbye" to E.T. is emotional: 

E.T. (to Elliott): Come.
Elliott: Stay.
E.T. (after touching his heart where there is a ruby-glowing light and then touching his lips, expressing his pain over leaving and separating): Ouch.
Elliott (after repeating the gesture): Ouch. (Then they embrace in the blue light of the spaceship.)
E.T. (after touching his long finger lightly to Elliott's forehead, his fingertip glows and he indicates): I'll be right here.
Elliott: Bye.

Deep sigh.

Do we allow our heartlights to shine? We were called to be salt and light. Jesus is our lightsource. We don't have to worry about a power failure when we He is the power source. We are fragile in so many ways, but He is greater than any obstacle, foe or situation we face. When we plug into Him... it is kind of like E.T.'s heartlight glowing when connected to the mothership. 

We can be more loving, more patient, better behaved, more kind, more generous and more forgiving when we are plugged into Jesus. Through His Spirit, we are never left alone. We can always be lit from within. 

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed." -2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT 

Hunted but not abandoned. Knocked down but not destroyed. Light from within and ready to light the way home. We have His light shining in our hearts.

Reese's Pieces, anyone?

Today, I am grateful for heartlight.