THE ELECTRICIAN
The room was cold dark and damp, but it had become my friend.
For I had lived there ever since I can remember.
Heavy blankets of isolation, lonliness, and fear insulated and protected me from the outside world. But, one day, there was a knock at the door...My heart froze...yet everything in me told me that he had come, but the darkness swallowed my muffled cries.
Once again, he knocked... "O Lord, Come in! The door opend and there stood, the Electrician. He wore radiant white overalls and a hat and around his waist was a large leather workmans belt, with various tools, wires, and lightbulbs of different sizes dangling from it. He tipped his hat and with a softness in his eyes, came in with a large ladder into the middle of the dark room.
He then proceeded to climb upon the ladder and insert a small 25- watt bulb into the bare socket hanging from the ceiling. He came down and folded up the ladder and left.
I crawled into the middle of the soft warm light and fell asleep. The healing light began to restore and strengthen me. Hours later I woke and began to walk around the circumferance of the light.
And then, I noticed a shovel, lying in the midst of the debris, so I went and picked it up and began to clean the area. It took days, a tremendous amount of work, but finally, it was clean, and then as the days followed, I would find myself lying on my back just staring at the bare light bulb on the ceiling and just loving the light. It had become my friend and comforted me.
Then, one day, there was a knock again on the door, and I knew it was him. I ran to the door and opened it and once again, it was the electrician. He smiled at me as he came in, and I knew that he was pleased with what he saw. He carried in his ladder and put it in the middle of the room, walked up to it, took out a 75- watt lightbulb.
Instantly the light in the room increased. And for the first time, I noticed a a chair and a couch. I quickly began to discover my new found space, as the electrician folded up his ladder and left. I loved the light... I loved everyting about the room... except...and then I noticed piles of garbage and dirt hidden everywhere. And then, as I began to size up the situation. I saw a greasy film over everything and piles of old books, records, and souveniers were scatterred everywhere.
I felt overwhelmed and nauseated as the painful memories of my dark and ugly soul stabbed at my heart.
I had such an insatiable appetite for things and more things, but it never filled me. Only the light from the electrician filled that void now. I knew that all this clutter had to go, so, I rolled up my sleeves and over the next several months, began to shovel, sweep and polish. Finally, for the first time, in my life, I felt that I had a home that was mine.
How strange it was, because I had looked everywhere for it and to have had it inside all along amazed me...but then, I had never had the light before.
Then, one day, there was a knock at the door. It sounded very similar to the electrician, but I knew it wasn't. I opened it and people who were lovers of the light had come to visit me.
They loved my home and often came to visit. Then, one afternoon, as we were all sitting around talking and sharing about all the wonderful things the electrician had done for us, I heard a knock at my door, and opened it a crack. It was him and he held a large 300- watt light bulb in his hand. My heart screamed in silence, not now..No Lord... No, you can't...everyone will be watching... I don't want anymore light today...not with everyone here...I don't know what it will reveal. I heard the people in my home laughing and talking in the living room.
The Lord gently took my hand and led me out of the room into a dimly lit hallway with many doors. He told me to open those I would like...Cautiously, I opened the first door and was shocked as a cold evil wind rushed out of the darkened door. I quickly shut it, as it took my breath away. The next door I opened, blinded me with a brilliant light bulb. I saw glimpses of radiant people walking around and their laughter was like music to my soul. The light was too bright and hurt my eyes, but I knew I had seen some of the glory of the light. The last door I came to, had a 25 watt light bulb in it. I recognized it, for I too had had it, but I was shocked at how dim the light was. I knew I would never be satisfied with that again and couldn't go back. I was beginning to understand that I had already gone too far into the light...
The electrician looked at me with his tender eyes of love and said, "Everyone has to make the choice of how much of the light they want, but there is always a cost. "O, Lord," I responded, " I can never turn back now, even if everyone leaves me" So, I invited him into my house. Few noticed he was even there, for they were so busy among themselves.
He put up his ladder as usual, in the middle of the room and took out the large 300 watt light bulb and screwed it in. As soon as the light came on, it increased the room and tripled in size. There was another couch, chair and now a dining room. Just as I feared, garbage and dirt was piled in the once darkened corners. Everyone responded iin different ways. Many of the people were shocked at the condition of the house and left. But a few stayed and began to grab brooms, shovels, and mops and began to help clean the debris. I couldn't believe that they understood and that they accepted me and loved me as I was.
The Electrician came over and embraced me and said, "My child, the ones that are staying, living in homes that have even greater light than you do... They also had others help them clean their homes, and still do. This is part of the healing process. Many times things have to be cleaned out that are too heavy for one person to carry out or there will be a stain and another person will know the solution. I made you all to help heal and restore each other.
And then I noticed that all around everyones' waist was a workmans' belt with wires and light bulbs dangling from it... As they helped me restore the room, they would put light bulbs into the mended lamps and the light grew and grew. The Electrician then said to me, "dear one... There are still many rooms in your house that I want to bring in my light, will you let me?" "O, yes Lord," as my heart melted in surrender.
And then, he fastened a workmans belt around my waist and said, "You will also help to bring light, not only into your own home, but also help to light others lives and hearts."
YOU ARE MY CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!
by: Master Potter
