Life of a Candle

                                                  Life of a Candle



Have you ever wondered where a candle gets it's start?  Most of us see a candle on a stone shelf and think that a candle's life begins when we light the flame.  But a candles life starts way before that.  It starts when the candle stick maker chooses a simple piece of string.  It can not be any old string though.  It must be strong enough to stand tall against the lighting of a match, and yet be gentle enough to withstand and bend with the blowing of the winds.  Without this carefully chosen piece of string, a candle will not burn.  The candles wick is in essence the candles soul.  The candlestick maker then takes the wick and ever so slowly begins to dip and redip it until it has many layers of wax surrounding it.  A few decorative touches later and the candle is ready to be fanned into flame.  At first lighting the flame is weak, but with gentle coaxing the flame becomes stronger.  The longer a candle burns, the sweeter the aroma it leaves behind.  Everyone that comes into view of a lit candle, can not help but smell the scent that is now permitting the area it is in.  Eventually the wick will burn out and the wax will melt away.  But a candles story does not end there.  The aroma lingers for a short while, reminding us that there was life in that jar.  Telling us that something beautiful was once with us.  All to soon, even the scent will slowly fade away.  But the jar remains, along with the memories of that beautiful, simple piece of string.  My mom reminded me of that candle.  Long before she was born, God was choosing a soul.  But it could not be any old soul, it had to be strong enough to stand tall against the hardships and trials of life, and yet be gentle enough to wipe away a childs tears.  From a thousand souls to choose from, God made his decision.  My Mom was like that candle and the many layers of wax.  She had many sides to her.  A quick wit and a sharp tongue endeared her to many, and often left us speechless.  Her sense of humor, (even during her final days), belied her strength and grace.  The courage she showed when facing the unknown was a gentle reminder to us that, all was what it should be.  But like the candle that eventually burns out, so too did my mom have to leave us.  I will miss you dearly Mom.  I love You.  God be with you always.