Shine Through Me

Just yesterday we were faced with a minor glitch in our lives. It was something of an annoyance, and betrayal, but not enough to keep us down. A few years ago, it would have been major, but today it's only minor.

I have God to thank for that!

He has brought me through so much over the past few years that I cannot help but trust Him today. He's proved Himself trustworthy time and again.

My husband came home from work yesterday to tell me he had something happen to him that's never been done before. The tone of voice that he said it in was a bit surprising but I tried not to worry.

Someone had stolen his credit card info for our checking account. He still has his credit/debit card, but for the past two days someone was using it as their own credit. The part that baffles me is the fact that it's not online purchases, it's done in store. For two days they have managed to spend $2000 of our money. It was only after our mortgage check didn't clear and we got an overdraft fee that we knew something was wrong.

They've been living the life! They've shopped at various grocery stores in some nearby cities and spent $1000. They had a little party at Applebee's and spent $70. Then they felt like being thrifty and spent $160 at the Goodwill store, and the list goes on.

This is one of those times where I'm absolutely speechless. I cannot even comprehend what's been done, and why.

But the thing I do know is that God is control. He knows everything and sees everything. He's got my back. I can keep moving forward, placing one foot in front of the other. God is so much bigger than any small amount of money. He does miracles and He supplies all my needs. Not necessarily all my wants and greed's, but my needs.

Last night at church we sang a song entitled "A Thousand Miles." I would have liked to post a link to a YouTube video of it, but I can't. It was written by someone in our church a few years back. The message is so powerful to me.

Over the past year, I have been obsessed, you could say, with the light and the dark. Maybe it's because the light and the dark go back all the way to the first day of creation, God spoke:

"Light!"
And light appeared.
God saw that light was good
and separated light from dark.
God named the light Day,
he named the dark Night.
It was evening, it was morning—
Day One."
Whatever reason it might be, God speaks to me through the light. Anytime the darkness of the world comes in, and threatens to overpower me, God answers back with His bright blinding light. I've always loved the sun and the feel of the rays on my skin, heating up my body. It's such a peaceful feeling to me. It's God showing His power over the darkness. I can run, and dance, and sing in the light. It's freedom!

The words of the song go like this:

A thousand miles seems far away, but for you just a touch away
Endless Love has reached my way
You paid the debt to take my sin, Crossed the grave to reach my hand
You gave hope, you gave grace

We sing Praise
To the God who saves us, the God who makes us whole
We sing Praise
To the God who saves us, the God who makes us whole

You looked at me and where I’d been, The paths I chose, all my sin
You forgave, everything
I maybe weathered, I may be worn. Your love for me is still the same.
You love me, Lord, Everyday

So Shine through me, a light to be
Let this world see what I see
Live through me, I’m on my knees
Let this world see what I see

No matter what happens in my life, I want to be bright. I don't want to stay in the dark hiding with my pain or sin. I want to be in the light, God's bright awe filled light.

There's a verse that comes to mind, my favorite of all time. It's found in Philippians 2:14-15 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." NIV1984

When I was in elementary school, our church had a program called Stars, part of the Assemblies of God, Missionettes. It was not a verse associated with the actual program, but as one of the leaders was moving away to another city, she shared the verse with us and challenged us to live it.

I have always held on to it, and never forgotten that going away speech given to me some 20 years ago. "Do everything without complaining or arguing." How can we expect to be a light in the darkness when our words are filled with anger, negativity, or contempt.

And the second part speaks so powerfully to me, I get goose bumps. "So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE."

All my life I've wanted to be a star shining in the universe for everyone to see. I want to make a difference. I want to be the light that someone can follow, that points them straight to heaven. I get a picture in my mind of how this looks, described by George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life, when he's talking to Mary Hatch about lassoing the moon, "Well, then you could swallow it, and it'd all dissolve, see? And the moonbeams'd shoot out of your fingers and your toes, and the ends of your hair..."

It sounds funny, but that's exactly how I picture it. This glow, with the light shooting out of my arms and legs and all the ends of my hair. Something so powerful that you can't help but notice and see it from miles away. That's exactly how God's light is and can be in our lives. God changes everything when He comes. He makes it so bright, that you can't help but be full of awe and wonder. It's the most beautiful thing in the world to me.

I know that I have rambled on and said a lot here. I just want everyone to know and experience what I have. God is just waiting to be the biggest thing in your life. He desires to love you, and hold you so that no matter what darkness comes, you can fight it. My life has never been the same. I have a peace that comes from within me, that no person can ever take away. My strength is in Christ, and in Christ alone.