Paper lanterns are part of ancient Asian traditions that are thought to date back as far as 230 BC. To this day, they are used in religious and cultural festivals and holidays around the world, usually symbolic of some type of celebration. In their simplest form, they are a light/candle inside of a paper bag, set on display for only a short time before they burn out. But there are more intricate paper lanterns - sky lanterns - that inflate when lit, rise rapidly into the air, and float into the sky for miles and miles. They give off a glow that can be seen by anyone who happens to look up and behold the light that illuminates the night sky.
Last week, I got to release my first sky lantern with my first best friend, the person who knows me most deeply (besides my husband), the person who I have shared every season of life most closely with. My sister. It was a bittersweet celebration and a symbolic farewell...
After nearly seven years of preparation, she and my brother-in-law, along with their three young children sold, gave away, and packed up everything they owned to start a new life in Thailand. They said goodbye to friends and family and the only place they've ever called home together to move to a land of vibrant colors and darkness, of beauty and oppression. They left the comforts of a place where many know Christ so that they can shed the Light into the darkest corners of a world that does not know His love.
Along this beautiful journey to Thailand, there has been much sacrifice, hard work, and even heartache at different turns. As only a sister can, I have seen the effects of sleepless nights, never-ending tasks, and family dynamics that have been affected in the months leading up to the big move. But I have also seen the strength, the joy, and the love that has been poured out by those who have chosen to journey with this special family. I have seen a community come together for a common cause, and I have seen my own family rally and grow stronger when roadblocks threatened to detour the entire journey. This team of 5 has truly displayed sacrificial love as they have stepped out and said "YES," to all that God has for them in Thailand.
It is certainly not easy telling your only sibling goodbye, your daughter's best friends (cousins) and a brother-in-law who is really like a brother, not knowing truly when you will see them again. But the knowledge that as much as I love them, the Father loves them infinitely more, only brings peace. He has taken them on this journey, and I am simply privileged to be a part of their story.
He has made them to be like paper lanterns - like sky lanterns - whose hearts are on fire for people who live in darkness. The more they are filled with His light, the more they rise. The more they rise, the more they gain a higher perspective. They are like beacons that illuminate the darkness, and they draw gazes from those who long to know the source of their Light.
I can't wait to see where the wind blows these paper lanterns, and the lives that will forever be changed because of their Light...and may we all dare to let our own lights shine as brightly.
Lantern ablaze,
L
Comments
Post a Comment