Light

It was a clear, black night and I was on the last hundred miles or so from home, tired from a long day of driving. Atlanta was beautiful with its sparkling lights and stars above. I remember thinking that I wish a could lasso one of the lights or a star and make a beautiful hat for the next royal wedding, or place it in a ring that would glow for miles. It's amazing how the buildings are lit up during the day, and the stars are still in the sky while the sun is out...and yet they are barely noticeable. It always takes the darkness to bring out the true beauty and glow of the lights. I wonder how many of us spend so much time so close to the other lights, that no one really gets to see the true beauty of our glow...or what I like to call, my sparkle. I wonder if some of us are so wrapped up in our churches, and our church friends and our church ministries (attended by more church friends)....that no one ever sees our individual shine...the one God gave us. There is nothing wrong with all of those things, but you were created with a purpose, and I don't think sitting on a church pew is all it is about. The dark can be scary, uncomfortable...sometimes even lonely. In Psalms the writer said, "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." that sounds like a dark place to me. That sounds uncomfortable...maybe even scary. Do you notice what the writer was doing in the "valley of the shadow of death"? Walking. He wasn't holed up in a ditch, or hiding out in a tree...he just kept walking. That tells me something. We are all on a path, running a race...walking towards our goal. Sometimes that path is going to take us to dark places...but that's when we will really get to shine. Try shining bright lights in your eyes and then walking into the darkness...it seems to make things darker, even diminish the glow of other lights. Deep breath...this one may sting a little. Are we losing our perspective of what true shine is because the disco lights and smoke of our modern day worship are blinding us? Who are the stars, or even superstars in your life? I have a few. Her name is LynnAnn Murphy. She is a college friend of mine....a single mom who is a missionary in a remote area of South America. She and her teenage daughter hold Bible studies for the ladies, teach english, opened a library and work in a birthing center. They minister to widows, orphans and families. They raised their support, went to language school...and chose to follow this path for their life. She has no spotlight on her...but man, does she glow! I remeber when Crystal snow was born. I have watched her grow over the years into such a beautiful young woman. A young woman who has a heart for the people of Peru. I have watched her raise her support and loved seeing her excitement for this path in her life. She's a star in my book. Rachel Duke and Francis Maxwell are two ladies in my church. They go to the streets in the evenings on the weekend and reach out to the prostitutes in the Chattanooga area...talk about shining bright like a diamond. Here is the challenge....Your path may not take you to the desert in Africa or to the mean streets of an innercity somewhere....but you were made for a purpose...to shine your light. That's going to require that you step into the darkness sometimes so people can see your light. So...move it, my friend. It's time to get your shine on....or in my case....time to sparkle!