Light Up Your World
Become a shining star during the season of giving

By Victor M. Parachin

In the winter of 1971, Larry Stewart was working as a door-to-door salesman in the small community of Houston, Mississippi. After his company went out of business, he quickly ran out of money.

Stewart had not eaten for two days when, in desperation, he went to the Dixie Diner and ordered a big breakfast. When he was presented with the bill, Stewart acted as if he had lost his wallet.

Ted Horn, owner of the diner who also was the waiter and cook, came near the stool where Stewart had been sitting. Bending over he picked up a $20 bill off the floor and said: “Son, you must have dropped this.” Stewart recalls: “It was like a fortune to me. I said to myself, ‘Thank you, Lord.’”

He paid for breakfast, left a tip, pushed his car to a gas station, filled up and left town. As he drove it dawned on him: Nobody had dropped the money. Horn helped him out in a way that wouldn’t embarrass him. Right then he paused telling himself if he ever became prosperous he would use his wealth to help others.

Eventually, Stewart moved to Kansas City where he made a great deal of money in cable television as well as his own long-distance telephone company. By 1979 he began helping others who were struggling.

Just before Christmas that year, he stopped at a drive-in in Independence, Missouri and ordered a hamburger with soft drink. He gave the carhop a $20 and said: “Keep the change.” Startled by the generosity, the woman first said: “You’re kidding.” No, he assured her and wished her a Merry Christmas. The woman started crying and said: “Sir, you have no idea what this means to me.”

Since then, Stewart has become a secret Santa Claus. Every holiday season since then he has quietly given struggling people a $100 bill often giving away $100,000 each holiday season.

Both Ted Horn, the owner of the diner and Larry Stewart are glowing examples of individuals who let their light shine. The world needs more people like Horn and Stewart, individuals who light up the dark places of life. There are many people whose own light has gone out and they are in need of being rekindled by a spark from another person. Here are some ways to do it:

Commit yourself to being a 200-watt bulb rather than a nightlight. Though everyone has light to share, sadly, some don’t shine very much at all. They are more like nightlights rather than being the bright, beaming bulbs of light. Out of fear or perhaps feelings of inferiority they are quiet when they should speak; by going along with the crowd; or by simply being indifferent when they could make a difference. Commit yourself to being a 200-watt bulb. Don’t hide your light. Let it shine. Be guided by this wisdom from author Marianne Williamson. In her book, A Return To Love, she writes:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Use your light to bless your part of the world. Very few of us will have an opportunity to shape world events but all of us can impact the communities and neighborhoods where we live, work, shop and play. Dr. Henry Heimlich, best known as the creator of the Heimlich maneuver, a technique for saving choking victims was once asked: “What is the best advice you ever received?” He answered by quoting his father, Phillip Heimlich, who told him: “Help people.” His father not only advised that but exemplified it. When Dr. Heimlich was a child his family lived in New York State where his father was a prison social worker. He traveled to state prisons in New York assisting incarcerated men. When a man was about to be released and his father believed that person capable and honest, he often tapped his network of friends to find him a job. Dr. Heimlich said he and his sister often visited those prisons with their father. He remembered walking, unattended, through Sing Sing prison in 1932. Back in the warden’s office, a prison official asked the warden how he could allow a child to walk around in prison without protection. The warden said: Everyone knows those are Phil Heimlich’s kids.”

Unlike the Heimlich family, your part of the world may not include a state prison but ask yourself: Who in my neighborhood or community could benefit from my light? Here’s how two people let their lights shine in their part of the world. The first is a woman with a successful career. Five years ago her daughter, who descended into the pit of substance abuse and addiction, gave birth to a baby girl. Without hesitation, the woman’s mother walked away from her successful career taking full custody of her infant granddaughter, raising her in a loving, safe and nurturing home. The other is a man who earns his living as a writer. He visits an older neighbor - woman - at least twice a week. That woman was also a writer prior to retirement. The man’s excuse for dropping in twice a week is to ask for feedback on unfinished drafts of his work. He knows the neighbor would be offended if she felt she was being checked up on but the truth is that she’s all alone and increasingly frail. The man has made it his responsibility to visit and look after her.

Remember that small actions can create a large impact. Never minimize the good you can do. Avoid believing the lie that your few words or small gestures won’t make any difference. Writer Janene Mascarella tells of accidentally discovering the power of writing a simple note of thanks. One day, she recalled a woman editor who was very kind to her when she was starting her writing career. Ms. Mascarella sent her a magazine article idea and the woman responded positively generously offering advice to strengthen the piece. Two years after that Ms. Mascarella says she “found the guts” to send her a short email of thanks and appreciation. Within a few hours, the woman emailed back. Ms. Mascarella says she braced for the response she feared, something like: “Dear Ms. Jane Mascarella: I’m a very busy woman and don’t remember helping you out two years ago. Sorry. If I did, you must have caught me on a very good day.”

However, the editor’s response was the opposite. The email read: “Hi Janene! What an absolutely lovely letter! I cannot TELL you what this means to me!” The woman went on to say she was having a really tough day, and Mascarella’s note not only made her day, it made her year. “I had no idea how powerful a simple, sincere and specific thank-you could be.”

Let your light shine when no one is looking. Jesus reminds us to let the light shine so that others will be blessed and that God will be glorified. He does not advocate that we let out light shine for personal glory or gain. Jesus teaches us to shine consistently whether anyone notices or not; whether we receive credit or not. Rumi was a great Persian poet and mystic. Because of his piety, disciples were drawn to him. One day Rumi asked one of his young disciples to get him an enormous platter of rich and delicious food. This young disciple was alarmed because Rumi was known to live an extremely simple, ascetic lifestyle. Rumi often prayed through the night, fasted regularly and ate very little. The disciple jumped to the conclusion Rumi was a hypocrite who secretly went off eating rich, delicious food. So, he prepared the meal Rumi requested, gave it to him and then secretly followed Rumi. He tracked him through the city streets, out into the fields, and out into yet further fields. Then he spotted Rumi going into a ruined tomb. Believing he would unmask Rumi as a fraud, he went directly into the tomb ready to confront Rumi. What he found was a totally exhausted female dog with six puppies. Rumi was hand feeding the mother so that she could survive to feed her children. Astonished at Rumi’s compassion, the disciple asked: “How on earth did you know that she was here? How did you know she was hungry? This is miles away from where you live.” Rumi’s answer was a powerful educational moment for the disciple. “When you have become awake your ears are so acute that they can hear the cries of a sparrow ten thousand miles away.”

Let your light be so radiant that it finds and shines upon a hungry animal, a hurting child, a wounded adult. Let your light flood the path for lives with no music in them, for hearts that are broken and for any who have lost their way. You are born to shine!

Victor M. Parachan is an ordained minister and author of several books. His latest is Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds.