Why Traffic Lights don't burn out

This week one of the florescent bulbs in our kitchen burned out. Because of the design, the entire fixture quit working. Only one bulb was bad, but they all shut down because each one depended on the others to work.

A few weeks before that, a cfl burned out in a fixture in another room. This light continued to work, it just wasn't quite as bright as it had been before. This fixture was designed to continue to provide light by connecting each bulb to the power independently. The room was a bit darker but we still managed just fine without the bulb for a few days until a replacement was purchased and installed.

So I got to thinking about lights that need to never go out, and my mind settled on Traffic Control Lights [we usually call them 'stop lights', cause I guess we don't notice them so much when they are 'go lights']. They need to work, and I expect them to work. There is such a light near my home that has been burning -green, yellow, red, green, yellow, red...for years and I have never pulled up to a burned out light. [We have had a power failure or two, but that's a different blog].

Why don't Traffic Lights burn out? Well, as it turns out there is a clever, and very simple reason why the modern traffic lights in your city don't burn out. Each "bulb" is really about 60 little l.e.d. bulbs. All closely aligned, but independently powered. That way, when a bulb does go out [and it does happen], it's just one dot out of 60, and the light still works just fine...think about that...important that it never goes out, closely aligned, yet independently powered...does that remind you of any other lights?

"And seeing the multitudes...He opened His mouth and taught them, saying...You are the light of the world..." -Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount

I believe that is the way God designed his people to bring light into this world. Like the traffic control signal, God's people, living God's way, give direction to the world. It is a light we can't afford to lose. For that reason, we need to be closely aligned, not identical, but all shining the same light. Yet we must be independently powered, because sometimes, one of our lights goes out.

Consider the chaos, tragedy, and darkness our world would be plunged into if we all quit shining each time one of us stopped. When closely aligned and working together, we can bring light, significant, helpful light, into this world. And they will see our light and glorify the Father.

Part of the brilliance [pun intended] of God's plan is that you don't depend on anyone else to shine. All you need is your own connection to the power source. Don't waste your time examining all the others around you for their "candlepower output". Some will shine brighter than you, and others may quit shining, for a time, or forever. Don't worry about that. We are each an individual ray of light from the Father of lights. Just maintain your own connection and keep on shining!

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16