...
For quite some time, a devoted Sunday School teacher carried out a small but meaningful tradition. Each week, she gathered her class of bright-eyed children and guided them on a quiet walk through the church auditorium. Tiny footsteps echoed softly as the children looked up in wonder, marveling at the beauty around them.
Their favorite part of the journey was always the stained-glass windows—towering panels of vibrant, carved glass that portrayed the ancient apostles, those we often call saints. There stood Saint John, Saint Matthew, Saint Paul, and others whose lives helped shape the early church. When sunlight streamed through the sanctuary, those windows glowed like heavenly jewels—deep blues, warm reds, shimmering golds—casting brilliant colors across the pews.
Week after week, the teacher paused before each window, offering simple stories about these men of faith. Though the walk lasted only a few minutes, their lessons lingered like light in the children’s hearts.
Then one Sunday, the teacher stopped midway down the aisle. Looking at her little class, she asked a question.
“Children, can you tell me what the word saint means?”
Silence swept over the group as they thought. Then, with the joy of discovery dancing in her eyes, one little girl raised her hand. With a proud smile she answered:
“A saint is a person whom the light shines through.”
The teacher stood still, letting the beauty of that simple truth wash over her. And perhaps today—on this Thanksgiving Day—that truth reaches us as well.
Letting the Light Shine Through in Troubled Times
We do not need reminding that our world is unsettled. Troubles swirl in distant nations and in our own cities. Families feel strain. Hearts carry hidden burdens. Even our thoughts, at times, face storms of their own.
Yet in the midst of it all, one calling remains:
To be people through whom the Light shines.
Not flawless people.
Not people untouched by sorrow or
struggle.
But people who—despite cracks, wear, and
weakness—allow the light of Christ to shine through them.
It is often through our very broken places that His brightness is seen most clearly.
A
Thanksgiving Invitation
We are invited to reflect the Light.
A gentle word.
A forgiving spirit.
A listening ear.
A
generous act.
A prayer whispered for someone unknown to us.
A
willingness to bring warmth into a cold moment.
These are the ways saints—ordinary saints—shine.
And maybe that little girl’s answer was more than a definition. Maybe it was a calling:
A saint is someone who lets the Light shine through.
Grateful, Hopeful, Steady
On this Thanksgiving Day, may gratitude fill your heart, may peace steady your steps, and may the Light that no darkness can overcome shine beautifully through your life.
And in a world longing for hope, may others see that Light—through you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Such beauty... Indeed, our Creator... The fount of many blessings!
