But My Light Has No Shine

Oct 07 2015 But My Light Has No Shine

Not all of us can do great things.

But we can do small things with great love.  ~Mother Teresa

My light lost its shine during a trying time around nine years ago. I was in the abyss of homeschooling three wild boys and trying to keep one indescribable toddler alive (no joke). The world has yet to see another child like him.

Anyway! I knew my light was shining in my home and that it would prayerfully pay dividends in my sons’ lives someday (particularly the one who would be alive to tell). Yet, I became compelled to shine that light to the “outside” world in some small way. With limited time and energy, my priority was the fam.  But reflecting on my circumstances, I realized I had let the shine go out of my light because of self-imposed limitations and the oh-so-familiar companion named Discouragement.

So, what did I do with this compulsion? Did I start a street ministry feeding fifty homeless people a day? No. Did I sign a recording contract and tour the land singing for the masses? No. Did I pray that God would lead me and show me how to get my shine on? Yes.

And He did.

The Lord opened my eyes to neighbors who needed a touch of encouragement via prayers, words, or notes. There were families on my boys’ teams who needed a listening ear. I met strangers who needed a meal or a momentary friend. Such small, simple acts laced with intentionality.

Guess what? The shine in my light returned.

It began with a prayer, with the baby step of sharing my heart with God. He gave me eyes to see, ears to hear, and the heart to see the needs in the world beyond my home and the wild ones living in it.

We are sometimes limited by our situation: health issues, young children, caring for aged parents, fears, and, yes, laziness.

Sometimes, we don’t know where to begin. We see so much darkness and need. We feel overwhelmed. We become complacent or even jaded.

Theresa didn’t begin as “Mother Teresa,” did she? She was a simple, willing woman who wanted to do a small part to shine her light for God.

No matter your circumstance, age, or limitation, you have a light to shine in this world, my friend.

There’s a child who is desperate for a kind word, a charity that needs a few hours a month, a neighbor who needs a prayer, and a world that needs your light.

Now dust off that light, dear friend, and let God shine.

PS. While shining my light “outside,” the wild ones on the inside learned how to shine their little lights, too. And we all lived to tell… so far.

My wild ones at the Zoo in 2006