Cleaning the Lamps

Mariam worries about her parents and how to be a wife to Yacoub. Rivka tries to tell her that they will each grow as they submit to God. She points to the lamps they're cleaning and says they all have the same purpose: to shine. She says God thinks of us as lamps. We are to shine as God made us to shine. Rivka says she knows women that have had to shine in the darkest hours. They had to rely on God to fill them so He could shine through them. A girl's worth doesn't rely on her marriage status, instead, she should live to serve God with her gifts and talents. That's where worth is found. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can't be hidden. Also, people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand. Then it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16). We're given unique personalities, desires and gifts to invest in the things God puts in our life. As stated in the parable of the talents, God expects us to use what we've been given to glorify Him.