Light a Candle

Candlelight is my favorite kind of light. It’s soft, dim and sends sweet shadows to dance on the walls. I like to find unique holders for my candles. I have a crystal-dripping gold ashtray. A paint-peeling vintage light fixture. A milk-glass double-taper candleholder that is a treasured family find. When my mother cleaned out my grandmother’s house, she unearthed a long-forgotten white deco-style candleholder on a shelf in the coal cellar. The candleholder was covered in dirt and soot but it was still in one piece, unlike most of the other things in my grandmother’s house, since no one had remembered it was even there over the years.

On the right is the milk-glass candleholder
that belonged to my grandmother.

Candles just put everything in a better light. People look softer. Rooms look more appealing. They glow. I’m always trying a new brand of candle, hoping to discover the most aromatic, long-lasting and delicious-scented candle. I like Tyler candles, with their whimsical names to describe their unique scents. Glamtastic, High Maintenance, Girly Girl and my favorite, SugarBaby with the richest shades of vanilla I’ve ever smelled. I like to light 20 or 30 white candles in tiny jars and place them throughout my house for festive gatherings. I love to put candles outside too. An outdoor setting looks so magical with lots of candles flickering.

Several years ago, on a trip to Los Angeles, I was with a friend who somehow managed to talk her way past the doorman and into the guest-list-only rooftop patio of the ultra-glamorous Skybar in the Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Boulevard. Once we got to the top floor of the hotel and stepped outside, I couldn’t believe I was in one of the hottest celebrity nightspots created by super-model Cindy Crawford’s husband. The open-air terrace was filled with pillows, couches and chairs arranged around a sparkling blue pool. Tables were filled with hundreds of tiny white candles and servers strolled around with trays of candles to replace extinguished ones. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The views of the Los Angeles city lights twinkling at nightfall were stunning. Ever since my one fabulous evening there, I have been inspired to create a similar ambiance with plenty of candles in my outdoor spaces. Even though my courtyard doesn’t overlook an amazing skyline, a few candles can make all the difference to create a place of enchantment, tranquility and enjoyment.

So can the words of God. The promises from the one who was the creator of light give my spirit hopefulness, joy and peace. The presence of God in my life is the illumination that provides direction. It radiates hope. Enlightens my gloomy doubts. Keeps the flickering flame of my dreams burning strong. So I light a candle. And pray for understanding. Of how I can diffuse the light. That reveals the one who can chase away the shadows that lurk in the dark corners of the world.

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. Psalm 89:15