Lanterns

Last Wednesday during Bible study, G-d gave me a mental vision! I'm really excited and grateful because I don't think I've ever received something like this before.

It was an image of a multitude of people walking in a pitch-black cave, along a narrow pathway with a wall on one side, a darker, yawning, infinitely deep ravine on the other. Some of these people had lanterns, which represent G-d's H-ly Sp-rit within them. I saw some of those with lanterns shielding them with their long coats, only using their light when they themselves needed it.

I saw others who were proud of their lanterns, thrusting them into the faces of those who had none, saying,
"Look at my lantern! Why don't you have a lantern like mine? It will light the way for you! Get a lantern of your own, or you will surely fall from the path into the ravine and die!" But the lanterns being thrust into their faces only blinded those without a lantern, and made them resent the light and those who had it all the more.

And I saw others still who had lanterns, holding them high above their heads. Their lanterns' light shone brightly, illuminating everything around them and revealing every pothole and protruding stone in their path. Everyone within the reaches of their lantern's light, whether they themselves had a lantern or not, benefited from the light and were encouraged in their walk. While these people were an inspiration to others who had lanterns, they intrigued those who had walked- and still walked- in darkness, and they marveled at the selflessness they showed in how the carried their lanterns, not only for their own benefit, but so that others might not stumble. And many of them took up lanterns of their own.

I thank G-d for this beautiful image that He has given me, and I want to learn all I can from it. I think the biggest question is, 'How can I apply this to my life?' not after Chile, but here and now. Also, it's such a wonderful image in my head, I very much want to put it to paper in the form of a drawing. Surely G-d doesn't intend for me to keep it to myself unexpressed. I very much look forward to receiving more images like this- it's one of my favorite ways to learn from G-d.