Nothing about the rabbit’s black-and-white coat needs changing for the light to make it beautiful in a new way. As stained-glass colors travel across the stone and settle over her fur, she becomes part of the chapel’s shifting brightness. The pleasure of the moment lies in watching something familiar receive an unexpected richness.
“For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.”
Psalm 18:28 (KJV)
Psalm 18 gives thanks for God’s deliverance and sustaining help. The image of a lamp being lit belongs to the psalmist’s confidence that God can restore his strength and illuminate circumstances that have felt dark. The gratitude comes from a life that has known danger and dependence.
The moving colors offer a quiet visual companion to that hope. Encouragement can enter our lives gradually, through a renewed understanding, a faithful friend, or enough strength to return to something we had set aside. We may recognize its effect before we know how to describe it.
We can be receptive to such help and thankful for those through whom it comes. The rabbit remains herself within the brightness, a gentle reminder that receiving care need not diminish us. Lord, bring light to what has become difficult to see, and help us welcome the support that renews our courage.