Growing up on the 1940’s on a farm, I remember well when we ‘got electricity.’ And I remember life before then (B.E.) too. The oil lamps (and stove) smoked up the house. We took a lamp wherever we went at night, even to the outhouse. I watched my parents ‘trim the wicks, pour the oil, and light the match.’ Magic! But this was nothing to compare with the electric lights that were to come.
When I first heard that Abe Lincoln learned to read by a candle or the kind of lamp we used, I was encouraged that someday I might be President like him. But then we ‘got electricity.’ That dashed my political hopes. (I am not complaining, believe me!)
It was in the summer of 1945 when we officially got ‘hooked up’. Living so far out in the country, it took time to work out all the details. We were living on Uncle Joe Evans’ place, Route 2, Baskin, LA. It was ‘way out in the country.’ When it was dark on that hill –IT WAS VERY DARK! We had a few oil lamps to use throughout the old dog-trot house. Standing in the yard, looking in, you could see the lamps ‘walking through the house at night.’ (Like a ghost moving about!)
The light poles had to be snaked from the gravel road up the narrow trail to the house. They were moved on a home-made sled/slide, pulled by two mules. It was quite a production. This might be compared to moving some of the large buildings from Fibrebond onto Highway 80 and I-20. Everything stopped for the action! When they were unloading the poles, the mules jumped, causing the logs to roll off the slide, penning my daddy to the ground. When the logs were lifted, it was evident that Daddy had a broken leg in two places.
Bad news for a farming family in the summer! After spending a month or so in Conway Hospital in Monroe, he came home with a hard cast on his leg and a month-long beard. We hardly knew him. Who was this strange ghost-like man? And we have a surprise for him too!
The ‘electrical project’ that he begun was completed by our neighbors who came to our rescue. The poles were positioned, cables were strung and the power turned on. That summer was the beginning of many ‘miracles’ for our family. In a few years, we enjoyed a series of ‘new inventions’ such as a refrigerator, radio, and later a washing machine. We grounded the small radio by connecting a wire to the window screen to get better reception. WSM (Nashville) on Saturday night, KWKH during the week, and XERF in Del Rio, TX were some of our favorite stations. We were in a dream – world it seemed.
Each room in the house was lighted by a single light bulb handing down in the center of the room. Since this was an expensive commodity, Daddy was always coming through the house turning off lights, reminding us of the cost. Lights were out at 9 p.m. except on Saturday. We could stay up until 10:00. Later when television invaded our home, these times were stretched a bit.
Until electricity ‘invaded the country side, the only bright lights at night were car lights along the dusty country roads, casting a halo in the darkness. But now there was light on the outside and inside of the house. Modern technology! This event was much like the one mentioned in Acts 13:45-49. (a light had come to the Gentiles).
The Jewish leaders refused the message of Paul and Barnabas. Yes, they refused the lamplighters and continued to walk in darkness. Paul told the Jews, “It is necessary that this Good News from God should be first given to you. But since you have rejected it, and shown yourselves unworthy of eternal life, well, we will offer it to the Gentiles. For this is as the Lord commanded: I have made you (Paul and Barnabas) lights to the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the ends of the world.”
Jesus had turned on Paul’s witnessing light and it could not be hidden nor snuffed out. When the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus and crucified him, Paul answered the call to ‘show the Gentiles this special light of salvation’. So, he turned the light on brighter and brighter for the Gentile world to see. He continued to ‘light up the world with the Gospel’ wherever he went even to Greece and Rome.
In our world today, we must be about ‘turning this Light on’ in every area of life. Let God’s love shine through us so when others see our good works it will bring glory to our Heavenly Father. (Matt 5 14-16). We do this by serving Jesus, obeying the Great Commission and living each day lighting candles around us. There are many folks still groping in darkness, wandering as sheep without a shepherd. But we must let this ‘eternal flame’ burn on the hillsides of life, in the valleys of grief and pain, in the courtrooms of injustice and the classrooms across the land. They must shine in the dark corners of our personal lives as well. We need to let them burn as brightly as we possibly can these days of spiritual darkness. We must bring hope to this lost and sinful world. Let’s turn some lights on in Minden this week!