Shine...

Have you ever been in the place where you are not sure if God is moving in your life? You don't know if you hear Him, you can't see him moving around you, you feel stuck? Well, I have been in this place, I swear for like the past 3 years. That is not to say that God has not being doing things all around me or to imply that I have not felt close to God at moments over these past few years, but that true feeling that God is right in the midst of what is going on in my life has definitely been missing. One thing I have been craving is good fellowship with a group of people who will ch allege and support me in my faith, a small group if you will. For years I have been telling my friend Kristi, I really felt like I should start a small group but of course I never acted on it and continued to feel empty and hungry for true fellowship. So this year, I was determined...even if it just turned out to be me and my bible, I would start this small group. So I sent out an email to a few friends inviting them to my house for a little fellowship and fun. This could turn out to be a really long story and truth of the matter is most of you who read this were probably there. So I will give you the short version...

Our group had watched the Nooma, Breathe (if you have not seen it...oh you have to watch it! AMAZING). And we had decided to stay with it for a few weeks and really spend some time in the word understanding the scripture that went along with it. So this past Tuesday, Amanda did an amazing job of taking the scripture in Exodus where Moses sees the burning bush and helping us really pick it apart and look deep in this passage. We were talking about what we have been hiding from people, and I shared with the group that I am hiding that I live in fear but I am really asking God to help me live in the freedom that He provides. And then we started talking about the burning bushes that are in our lives. I will not go into all that happened during that time, but just trust that it was a great discussion, so nice to be able to share with people what was on my heart and feel loved, supported and prayed for. Such a blessing..

Now fast forward to Wednesday, my friend Kristi came into my room and told me she wanted to go get a tattoo on her foot of a star. And then she went on to explain that was what she wanted to be, a light in a dark world. She knew she had been called to be light and she really wanted others to see that light in her. In a very quick, not thought out reply, I told her I would go with her. Not really sure that I would get a tattoo at all, because I am not going to lie, I knew it would hurt, I thought about it a little more. And I was really drawn to this idea. That we are called, yes called to SHINE a bright light in the world, a world that is hopeless, faithless and hurting. Sometime I need a visual reminder of that too...so I told her I would get one too! And then I got to thinking a little more about what I know God has called me to do...to be His hands and His feet. I tend to think I am pretty good at the hands part of that command. I like to serve, be helpful to others, play it safe. But the feet part is another story, that required action, that is the GO behind the command. This is the part of what God has called me to do that I have not been faithful with. So to get a tattoo on my foot would remind me that I am to GO! Go where God is asking me to go, no matter what that is and then once I go to be that light in the dark world! So all that to say....



I did it...I have a tattoo that reminds me to GO and be a light to a dark and ugly world. The second star is also in memory of my dad who I lost 6 years ago. I know that the stars are one way for me to know that he is watching over me and this helps me to know he is with me all the time!

I know something very not like me, but I am really happy with it. And more than that I am happy with what it means to me..now if I can just be all that God is calling me to be...It is time to SHINE!