Shine and Make Them Wonder Whatcha Got!

    When people suffer they are expected to fall.  Its what our world says happens. Or is supposed to happen.  It is what is expected of us.  Whatever happens whether its, loosing a loved one, a car wreck, a friend betrays you, maybe your house was for-closed on, maybe you lost your job, maybe you are screaming internally wondering why God would let this happen to you.  You feel like your world is falling apart.  You feel like you just can't make it.

    This is normal.  Everyone feels this at some point in their life.  The truth of the matter is you can't make it.  At least not on our own strength.   I read this, this morning in my devotions:

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (emphasis added)
"We are hard pressed on EVERY side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--" 

     We are hard pressed from every side, but we are not destroyed.  Why are we not destroyed?  I found that answer in Isaiah. :)

Isaiah 41:13
"For I, the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, "Fear not I am with you, I will help you." 

    The Lord promises that He is going to help us through this.  He says we shouldn't be afraid.  So, the reason we, as Followers of Christ are not destroyed when we are hard pressed is because we have Christ on our side, and if our God is for us, whom could ever stop us?

    So, why talk about falling in struggle?  Remember what I said above, it's expected of the world.  Stop and think about that for a minute.  So, we are expected to fall, but God promises that He "will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear." (1 Corinthians 10:13).  He promises He is going to help us and will be right there with us.  So what does all that mean?

    I met a family once who had just been through a terrible tornado.  Their father, jumped on top of some of his children to save their lives as their house came crashing down on top of them.  All 13 children and mother survived, but to save his children, the father of the family gave his life.  This family had lost their father and their husband.  I could not imagine the grief it must have caused them.  When I met them a year after the tornado I was so deeply impacted.   Never before had I seen such joy written on the faces of this family.  The kind way in which they spoke to others was so kind!  They were such a joy and blessing to get to talk to.  I was told later that what the children and mother had agreed on after the  tornado was to pray that they would not become bitter towards God.  I will never forget this story.  After this family had been through such a terrible thing, loosing their father and their home in the  tornado and many of the children being injured, their one wish and hope was to pray that their hearts would not be bitter towards God.

    That's what that means.  When we are expected to fall by the world, that is when we must shine. That is a opportunity to be a strong testimony for the Gospel.  People are always amazed to see someone else shining when they know that, that someone is either struggling or just went through some terrible things.  That is when we stand out.  That is when people are going to notice us as Christians most.  Maybe that's a time when we can make an impact on this world for Jesus Christ.

    That is not to say that everything is going to be easy. Quiet the opposite, its going to be hard. That's why, when we have most of the darkness around us, is when our light is going to be noticed.

    Maybe your struggling with something as your read this.  Maybe you really can't feel like you can make an impact, that you can't shine. Well, on your strength you can't. That's why you have God on your side. He will hold your right hand and help you shine through the darkness. Maybe now is the moment that God's calling you to make your impact, through this struggle.  Don't waste it!

    "Shine, Make 'em wonder what you've got, Make 'em wish that they were not, On the outside looking bored, Shine, Let it shine before all men, Let 'em see good works, and then, Let 'em glorify the Lord! ~Newsboys Chorus to "Shine" 

Thankfulness

Psalm 19:14 

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord my Strength and my Redeemer."

    Recently I have been thinking about glorifying God.  Not just in what I do, but in what I say and think. Talking and thinking may seem like a really small way to glorify God, but it does.  I have been thinking about thinking the way I think.  I have been trying to focus on the good in my life and not the bad things that are happen to me or the bad things that are happening in the world.  So today to help me with that I thought I would say 10 things I was thankful for. :) 

1. The faithful love of my Lord and Savior. 

2. That Jesus Christ is my Heavenly Father.

3. The Bible, what a helper in our lives!

4. My wonderful parents that are so patient and help me out so much.

5. My awesome siblings that make me laugh and are such a joy to be around.

6. My awesome friends who will cry with me, crack me up and are there for me.

7. All the kids that I work with. They are such a joy.

8. My sweet cats! :D

9. Good, clean, enjoyable books.

10. Chocolate. (where would we be without it. :D)

    So what are you thankful for today? You certainly do not have to comment and say what you are thankful for (I would love it if you did though :) ) but i would encourage you to say something your thankful for to the Lord. Because without His grace and mercy we wouldn't have anything. :)