The Light Sees You Before You Speak

The room is quiet now, but your mind is replaying the conversation on a loop. You hear the exact tone of your voice.

You hear that one word that slipped out, sharp and unguarded. You are lying here wondering if they saw through the rest of your performance, if they noticed the cracks in the mask you wore all day.

The darkness gathers, and it feels like a courtroom where you are both the accused and the judge. But listen.

The light that lives inside you was there before the slip of the tongue, and it remains after the shame sets in. It does not flinch at your awkwardness.

It does not withdraw when you feel exposed. There was a moment when Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, and the answer was simply: I saw you.

Not your performance. You.

Before you spoke a word. The light sees you completely, and it stays.

You do not have to edit yourself to be held.