Agreement With the Light Inside You

Morning light hits the window and someone says you did well. Your throat tightens.

You want to deflect, to shrink, to insist you are a fraud wearing skin that doesn't fit. You think accepting the praise is a lie.

But the light sees what is hidden. It sees the work you did when no one was watching.

It sees the effort behind the mask. When Jesus told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven, he did not wait for proof of worthiness.

He saw the faith of the friends who carried him and said: get up. The light does not compliment your performance.

It recognizes its own reflection in you. To deny the praise is to tell the light it is seeing things.

To say 'thank you' is not arrogance. It is agreement.

You are not fooling anyone by hiding. The light already knows what is inside you.

It knows the truth before you speak it. Stop arguing with the mirror.