The Spark Within Us

 The following Our Daily Bread, spoke to my heart, as I work on not simply surviving myself, but another day. As a Christian, I struggle to share with God what is happening both with health but also my life. In my most recent Counselling session, I discovered the following words that sum up things perfectly...so much that even my therapist agreed with the message:

Then I read something Our Daily Bread and the message about the stars and the light spoke to my heart. 

SHINING STARS By:  Jennifer Benson Schuldt   

Our Daily Bread 

I can close my eyes and go back in time to the house where I grew up. I remember stargazing with my father. We took turns squinting through his telescope, trying to focus on glowing dots that shimmered and winked. These pinpricks of light, born of heat and fire, stood out in sharp contrast to the smooth, ink-black sky.

Do you consider yourself to be a shining star? I’m not talking about reaching the heights of human achievement, but standing out against a dark background of brokenness and evil. The apostle Paul told the Philippian believers that God would shine in and through them as they held “firmly to the word of life” and avoided grumbling and arguing (Philippians 2:14–16).

Our unity with other believers and our faithfulness to God can set us apart from the world. The problem is that these things don’t come naturally. We constantly strive to overcome temptation so we can maintain a close relationship with God. We wrestle against selfishness to have harmony with our spiritual brothers and sisters.

But still, there’s hope. Alive in each believer, God’s Spirit empowers us to be self-controlled, kind, and faithful (Galatians 5:22–23). Just as we are called to live beyond our natural capacity, God’s supernatural help makes this possible (Philippians 2:13). If every believer became a “shining star” through the power of the Spirit, just imagine how the light of God would repel the darkness around us!

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While I've never stargazed with my father, I have with another person, long ago. My daughter loved the stars and whenever we were camping' ~ especially in the United States, Shayla would point out the same moon and galaxy of stars, follows you and whoever else is looking up, both at the same time.  

This instilled in me, that no matter how dark things have become, there is the one HOPE burning brighter than ever. Jesus is the one who is my daily Sonshine, who sees me as a "shining star"... no matter how dim my light. The creator who through my tears and struggles, I can look up and be reminded God hears my every prayer and knows every struggle. 

As I lit my lantern tonight, the instant glow brought the warmth and comfort I needed. I know in turning to the one who holds the stars, I can still be even a little spark, which ignites the light within. 

By TL Alton