| Author | Message | ||
| Lori (Lori) |
This is the beginnings of "my story": Born into the Lesser Light When you first enter the darkness of a cave the Greater Light from the outside illuminates your way. As you progress deeper into the darkness and farther away from the Greater Light it becomes essential to have a Lesser Light to guide you. Your dependence on the Lesser Light becomes greater and greater as you go deeper into the darkness. Finally there is the time that you look back toward the entrance and can no longer see even the tiniest speck of the Greater Light. It is now that you are fully dependent on the Lesser Light. Where it goes you must follow or you will be eternally lostÖÖÖ..Some people walk into the cave with the purpose of following the Lesser Light; others are born there. I was the latter. I was reared within the glow of the Lesser Light. From birth to adulthood I was surrounded by its presence. I lived what was called a sheltered life. The Lesser Light was my teacher; it slowly shaped my viewpoint of life. Everything I knew and understood had come, in one form or another, from the Lesser Light. I knew not how to be anything else than what the Lesser Light had taught me to be. You may be wondering what the Lesser Light is and why it has had such an incredible impact on my life. This I will explain to you. But first, it is imperative that you understand the control the Lesser Light has upon you if you are going to understand why people who follow it rarely leave it. Lets go back inside the darkness of the caveÖÖ. The Bible says that everyone is born into darkness. From this standpoint you can see it was quite a bold statement, on my part, to say that I was born into a Lesser Light. When indeed, no one is born into any kind of light at all; we are all born into darkness. Let us consider that when every person is born they are born within the dark recesses of a cave. Their first greeting is incredible darkness. From the moment of birth they seek to find some form of light, however dim it might be, which will provide them with some measure of comfort and security. There are many lights inside the cave. In the light, and in the darkness, are companions. Some prove to be comrades and some enemies. As I stated before I was not born into this total darkness; I was born in the Lesser Light. I never had to search for the light; therefore I never knew the incredible moment of relieve one feels when they first step out of the darkness and into the light because I had never been out in the darkness. I was extremely fortunate!! The Lesser Light was considered to be the Highest Authority of Light inside the cave only by those who followed it. There were other lights in the cave; some of them were much more intense than the Lesser Light. They seemed to possess authority but the Lesser Light taught us these were only there to deceive us and we should constantly be aware of the dangers they posed. Should we ever be deceived by one of these other authorities and choose to follow its light instead of the Lesser Light then we would be forever lost in the darkness of the cave and it would be better if we had never had knowledge of the Lesser Light than to have known it and rejected it. Foremost, as a safeguard for the followers of the Lesser Light, we were taught to never heed the messages of anyone who rejected ìourî rules. If they rejected even one of our rules then we could know, with confidence, there was no truth in their words. You must be wondering what the Lesser Light is and what its rules areÖ. these things I will tell you so you can understand, in part, why those who follow the Lesser Light rarely leave it to find comfort and solace elsewhere. As I seek to remember the first things I was taught I am always brought back to the stories of a man called Jesus. He was God who had come to earth to save all those who would believe in Him from death. This concept appealed to me greatly because I had an immense apprehension related to my demise. The story was told that he would pay the price of death in our place so that we could live with him for eternity. The stories told about this man were incredible. He performed great miracles; it even was told that he controlled the winds of the earth and waves of the sea! The miraculous events that transpired throughout this mans short life were truly amazing to say the least. I was told that he could change the lives of even the simplest man if they would only submit themselves to Him. Submitting ourselves to Him is where the Lesser Light seemed to have great insight. There seemed to be no end to the things that we could do in order to show our submission to this incredible man, Jesus. The most important thing was what was called the Observance of the Sabbath. As this day neared each week there was a flurry of activity as we anticipated its approach. On the day before the Sabbath twice the amount of work had to be completed, as we were to do no work at all during the 24 hours of the Sabbath day. I grew to detest the day before the Sabbath because all it meant was you hurry, hurry, hurried in order to complete necessary task so that the next day you could sit idly with nothing to entertain yourself. As a child, the hours of the Sabbath seemed linger for much longer than other 24 hour days. All of the things that could keep the mind of a child enthralled were forbidden on this day. The adult students of the Lesser Light seemed to enjoy the day, although it was hard to really tell as they spent most of the day asleep. They would awaken as darkness approached and prepare themselves for the activities that would soon no longer be forbidden. The single activity, which was allowed, was assembling together with other students of the Lesser Light. The sensational stories of this God-man Jesus Christ were always prominent in all of the childrenís studies during these assemblies of the Lesser Light. We were told Jesus Christ had left a Great Light to direct us. This Great Light was called the Word of God, the Holy Bible. In it were stories about Jesus and many of the people who had known him. It contained many letters written by those who followed His Light. As I reached my 15th year the studies progressed deeper into the books written by the Lesser Light. The writings of the Lesser Light consisted of more than 60 books. The Lesser Light used some of the writings from the Greater Light and then added additional wisdom to them. The more I studied the writings of the Lesser Light the more difficult it became for me to differentiate which words came from the Greater Light and which emanated from the Lesser Light. We were told this did not matter because each Lights directions, regardless of its source, was equally important and should not be questioned. One thing became perspicuous in these studies: if you didnít follow the Lesser Light than following the Greater Light was of no value at all. Repeatedly this simple message was taught. If you stray from the Lesser Light than the power of the Greater Light cannot save you. | ||
| Doug222 (Doug222) |
Lori, This is a great allegory. I LOVED it. I had to laugh out loud when you said "The adult students of the Lesser Light seemed to enjoy the day, although it was hard to really tell as they spent most of the day asleep." So true, so true. I hope there is more to come. In His Grace Doug | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Lori, what a great story! Would you submit it for posting on our "stories" page when you finish it? (Please write moreÖ!) Colleen | ||
| Sherry2 (Sherry2) |
Keep the story going, Lori. God has blessed you with this story telling...Please continue.... | ||
| Insideoutsider (Insideoutsider) |
Awesome, Lori! I can hardly wait to scroll down another page(well, what do you say when you can't turn a page)? The Greater Light has gifted you with the ability to enLighten... | ||
| Dennis (Dennis) |
Great story, Lori! Unfortunately, it characterizes a reality I have experienced first hand. Thanks for sharing your pilgrimage. Grateful for the True Light, Dennis J. Fischer | ||
| Lori (Lori) |
Part 2 ...The Lesser Light has a power that you can not conceive until you have been one of its following. I must start from its beginning to explain its ëchoosingí and to reveal its ërulesí. Listen and you will understandÖ The one who bore the Lesser Light was not born within it, like I. No, her journey to the Lesser Light was a great deal more complicated; she was born within the glow of a Different Light. She would travel through two other lights before she would be become the bearer of the Lesser Light. She would endure a great tragedy in order that she might be prepared to bear this light, which would dispel all Darkness. As a child, in her ninth year, a great tragedy fell upon her. Another child, whom had become angry with her, threw a rock to strike her. The rock struck her with a force that rendered her into a deep sleep, which she could not be aroused from for a period of three weeks. But she did arouse, much to everyoneís surprise; however, she was never the same either in appearance or in intellect. She failed miserably in her ability to focus on her studies when she returned to school. She fell hopelessly behind and at a very young age gave up her studies. Her mental state had been greatly compromised. The child lived with misery in her soul in spite of the Different Light with should have brought her joy. Several years passed and nothing really changed for the child. A second attempt to return to school was thwarted by the same difficulties and thus was abandoned. She would receive no further education. Four long, miserable years would pass. For the first time the young girl was introduced to a New Light in the Darkness. This New Light was not joyously received; it brought forth fear and indescribable anxiety. Its message challenged the sanity of her young mind. But in spite of the great fear produced by the New Light, she clung to it; seeking to draw others there as well. Her allegiance to the bearer of this New Light alarmed those whom she had fellowshipped with in the Different Light; they warned her of its errors. She pursued the New Light tenaciously; attempting to persuade others of its superiority. She began to have dreams concerning the New Light. This completely convinced her she should embark on a new passage beneath its glow. Time passed. The warnings the Different Light had given proved valid. The central message of the New Light was indeed in error; the prediction of the return of the God man, Jesus Christ, had failed to occur as the New Light had alleged it would. The day of the supposed ëcomingí had comeÖand passed. It was a Great Disappointment to the assembly; one that would not be easily overcome. The young girl seemed undaunted by this occurrence; thoroughly persuaded by her dreams that they had only misunderstood the message from the Greater Light. Some of the Influential argued at these suggestions. Each making excuses why the well-calculated predictions had failed. Dissension came between them; each lunged in an effort to take control of the New Light. The New Light was greatly disturbed under the strain; at first its light swelled, but with the continued force of each struggle it began to flickerÖthreatening to go out. Under the intense pressure it had been unleashed from its vast supports and began to move unexpectedly. Those within the glow of the New Light were bewildered; it was difficult to discern the passageways with the New Light moving about so abruptly. One moment they were in the comforting presence of the New Light and the next they were cloaked by the Darkness. At last, the immense thrashing of the New Light ceased; it appeared to have been placed once again upon its supports. Those who had followed the New Light were comfortedÖmomentarily. That was until they noticed; the New Light was no longer one! It had been broken in the quarrel. At the moment it was in pieces! Each of the Influential had taken a fragment of the New Light and separated. The assemblage had not survived the Great Disappointment in tack; it had fallen. The tragic event of the failed predictions had disintegrated their company. Some clung to the different sections of the broken Light. But many simply chose to swallow their pride. Embarking on the journey to find their former Lights. Hoping they would be received; prepared to endure the humiliation of their error. A few attempted to repair the breech. But to no avail; the Influential refused to co-operate. These few threw down their tools in frustration; cursing all Light and embracing the Darkness. There were the uncertain among them; those who could not make a decision, whether out of ignorance or fear I do not know. These were the ones who remained; waiting, listening to the words of the Influential. In due course, each found some satisfaction in the words of an Influential and the division was complete. Amazingly, the young girl had immerged as an Influential. Her dreams had been the factor of influence with the small flock, which chose to follow her. She held the Light firmly. Daring anyone to challenge her authority to bear it. She was frail and the Light was cumbersome; that she was even able to stand beneath the weight of the Light was proof to the Little Flock she had been chosen by the Greater Light to lead them. Her dreams continued; she had a special connection with the God of the Greater Light. Information that was not written in the Book of the Great Light was made known to her, alone. At first the small company found it unsettling as they would witness her fall unconscious to the floor. Lying there, sometimes for hours before she would regain her faculties. But after each collapse she would arise to share a tremendous vision from the Great God of Light! It was soon revealed that this Little Flock was the designated messenger of a vital message to those who might be saved from eternal death. The Book of the Greater Light had only delivered the first segment of knowledge required to live eternally in the presence of the Great God! Now the second requirement would be made known through the Lesser Light......... | ||
| Lydell (Lydell) |
Lori, this is awesome. Obviously a "God-thing" going on. Keep it coming. | ||
| Violet (Violet) |
Lori, As I was reading your post I thought this could make a great adventure story for kids. Think chronicals of Narnia or a Christian Harry Potter. | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Lori, I like what you're doing with this story! Keep writing! Colleen |
