Shine

Is God calling you to shine in a dark place? Don’t hide your light!

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

(Matthew 5:16 NIV.) 

Struggling?

Just a Spark to remind you to keep going. Whatever you’re struggling with, God is with you. Don’t quit now.

 

God’s Got You

A little Spark. 

Hey, it’s going to be okay.

You’ve got this

because God’s got you.

 

What are Sparks?

I know you’re busy. Life can be frantic and chaotic, messy and wonderful all in the span of about five minutes.

Maybe you just need a little spark of encouragement or inspiration to warm your day and draw you closer to God.

I hope these Sparks do just that.

Blessings to you!!

 

 

 

I Won’t Pretend

I won’t pretend that I know how you’re feeling today. I won’t pretend that I understand what keeps you awake at night or what pulls you from your sleep in the morning.

I won’t assume that I understand your pain. I don’t know what breaks your heart or drops you to your knees in desperation.  I don’t understand what your days look like or even what you’re facing right now, what giant is looming over you while you stand in its shadow.

Are you trying to break free? Does someone or something have a tight grip on you?  Are you lonely, feeling as if no one understands you or what you go through in a single day?

Maybe I don’t know you. Maybe I don’t understand the terror, discouragement, or exhaustion you face, but God does.  He is with you.  And in a small way, I am with you too.  You see, I am your neighbor.  We share the same planet.  And I care about you.

I may not live within driving distance from where you are. Perhaps it would take more than one airplane to bring me to your door to give you a hug, but I can close my eyes and ask God to help you right now.  I can pray and ask Him to bless you right where you are, to help you with what you are going through, and to give you strength and peace during your day.

I won’t pretend to pray for you either. I really will pray.  And I’ll ask God to give you that hug for me.  Right now…

“’Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:36-39 NIV.)

A Fuzzy Hug from God

Our daughter was sick for a week battling a nasty winter bug. She coughed day and night, literally, and fought off fevers with medications, cool baths, and time.  But one particular medication worked better than all the others:  Encouragement.

You know. A card comes in the mail (thank you, Candie!) and you get phone calls or texts from family and friends who care and miss you, and someone even stops by with a little chocolate they deliver at arm’s length to lift your spirits.  Suddenly the cloudy, germ-infested bubble you’ve been in for days lets in a little light.  Your smile ignores the fever.  The cough comes again, but this time it’s not alone; laughter shows up, telling that illness, “Your days are numbered so enjoy them while you can, buddy boy.”  Laughter is pretty tough like that.

Of course God uses us to encourage one another, to bring out smiles and revive the laughter. But what about when God Himself shows up to encourage you, to offer you a hug when you need it most.  Let me explain:

My daughter and I were at the drugstore, waiting on her prescription and passing time by admiring all of the discounted Valentine’s Day chocolates and stuffed animals. I do love a good sale on chocolate!  There was a sea of adorable stuffed animals:  frogs, bears, dogs, and one enormous bear about the size of my daughter.  She of course fell in love with every one of them as I remained strong.   Yeah, right.  We circled around the store and found another aisle of stuffed animals on sale.  I rolled my eyes and said, “Sure we can look,” as I followed her.  That’s when we saw the most adorable stuffed bear.  She picked him up, handed him to me, and I was in trouble.  Those cute little eyes and the softness of his fuzzy curls, and I was in BIG trouble.

But her prescription was ready, so I put the little guy back, saddened as I noticed he was the only one just like him, and we went back to the pharmacy. I felt a tug, this dragging-my-feet sensation as we got in line.  Silly, right?  My daughter looked at me, not realizing how much I liked that bear, and said, “He sure was cute.”  I stared back at her, took a deep breath, and agreed with her on the way back to get him.

We had so much fun with our new family member, Winston, on the way home. We admired him in all his adorableness, talked for him, told stories about his waiting for a family in the store, how others picked on him, and how he felt when we put him down and walked away. (Did I mention we both have rather large imaginations?)

But only God knew days later it would be my turn to get sick and with everyone out of the house, I was going to feel cooped up in that bubble and a little lonely. Thankfully, God nudged me days before to go back and get Winston, so I was able to stand in our living room and be encouraged and comforted by God through a wonderful, fuzzy hug.  Of course, the smile came right after.

If you’re in need of some encouragement today, my friend, God is with you and I’m praying for you.  And Winston is sending you a hug.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV.)