Point Of ViewSampel

Drawing the Light

Sister Diane was one of the best teachers I ever had. One day in my high school art class, she placed a crumpled brown-paper lunch bag on the still-life table, adjusted a spotlight to hit the bag as she wanted, and told us to begin our study of the lunch bag. I sat kneading my gummy eraser, unable to begin as my eyes settled on one wrinkle on the bag’s surface, then another. 

Noticing my state of sketch paralysis, Sister Diane instructed firmly, “I said, ‘Begin.’ ” 

I raised my hand. As she leaned down, I asked her how it would ever be possible to draw or illustrate all the cracks, crinkles, and folds in that mess of a bag. She simply responded, “I am not asking you to focus on all the dents and cracks and darkness, as they will overwhelm you. I am asking you to see the light. Draw the light, and you will draw the bag.” 

Looking back at that day, I see now that Sister Diane was teaching me about more than just a paper bag. The paper bag lesson has helped me as I reflect on my tenure at The View and my time at FOX News. During that decade and a half, there were certainly dark days, some of which unfolded in front of millions of viewers, while others stole my joy and were seen only by God. Some days, like the paper bag, showed cracks, crinkles, and folds, but there was always plenty of light. And the light, thanks to Sister Diane’s teachable moment, is what I choose to focus on. The value of what I learned at The View far outweighs the stress of being outnumbered at the table. The value of what I learned while working on the team at FOX far outshines the hour at which I had to wake up and the depth of the news content. 

Seeing the light on the paper bag does not mean denying that there are some cracks and crinkles in it. It simply offers a discipline for how we choose to illustrate the challenging times in life. God is asking us not only to see the light but also to reflect His light. I find it more effortless to reflect His light when I have practiced choosing to see the light instead of the darkness.

Where in situations past have you focused first on the dark… and where can you refocus and see the growth, the closeness the redemption in your heart during that time Where has God grown you closer to him How has focusing on the light helped you see that more clearly ?