Do you have the sparkle?
It’s the shine of more. It’s the clean of perfect. It’s togetherness and wholeness.
It looks nothing like me.
I look like tiredness personified.
I look like worry building upon worry.
I look like one who tries to trust – but still doubts.
I look like a battlefield where godliness goes up against selfishness.
I look like a girl trying to fit herself into mold “good mom.”
That’s me. Not so shiny. Not very sparkly. Hardly.
It feels hard to keep the glimmer of Christ existent amidst the grime of this life.
But, what if glimmer was not me – or you? What if the pressure was off? What if glimmer was just a matter of letting God’s light bust through our darkness?
What would that look like?
God’s glory is always found within our tension points (Romans 5:3). It is a hard thing to consider, isn’t it? Usually, we run from these places, thinking they spots sent to inflict pain. Little do we know that sometimes, these exact spots, when pushed are what are going to deliver us to freedom – and to greater mobility to reach the world.
Where we feel pressed, God is working things out, so one day, we land at – blessed.
We shimmer. We shine. We find glory!
Do we believe it is possible?
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces…
(Romans 5:3)
When great joy emerges out of great struggle, people notice. Glory!
When peace is found over hardship. Glory!
When God grants unspeakable calm in the midst of doggone electricity storm. Glory!
When insight speaks into an impossible situation. Glory!
Glimmer! Sparkle! Shine! Power! Light unquenchable.
When we endure and then endure and then say, “No matter what Heaven awaits!” Glory!
We can lean into pain, knowing that God, by his very nature,will always use it – for spiritual gain. In that we can trust.
Is it hard? Yes. Impossible. No.
It is not, because it is also a work of the Holy Spirit – he makes you go about all Tigger-style, abounding in hope (Romans 5:13).
Hope is:
Seeing Jesus constructing mission out of our pain.
Imagining people changed after relational turbulence.
Standing on God’s masterplan rather than our personal ones.
Believing that God really is at work to make us into Christ’s image.
Going beyond self, to reach the nations.
Thanking God for the new thing he is building in us.
Understanding the cross and all the pain that came with it.
Looking at the captives and depressives and wanting to love them.
Getting a feeling that we have to pass around.
Knowing we found home and longing for the fullness of it to come.
Hope. It is all you need to sparkle, no matter how you feel. Nothing can steal it. No one can rob it of you. It is a knowledge you’ll be blessed, even if you straight up land at heaven’s gates.
Let it sing in you. Let it rise from you. Walk in its fullness and feel its freedom – then hand it out to all you meet.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 5:13
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Kelly,
“Standing on God’s master plan instead of our own plans”…so much truth here. It seems paradoxical, but God truly is able to shine brightest through us when we are in our weakest and most dependent state. May we all be able to relax into Him…
Blessings,
Bev
Yes, may we relax into Christ.
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How wonderful to remember that in Christ, we have become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21) But it’s so hard for me to really grasp that! Thanks for your words of HOPE today, Kelly. Blessings to you and your ministry today! Thanks for hosting this linkup, friend. We appreciate you.
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Yes! The key is exactly what you stated above. “Great joy emerges from the struggle.” Amen! Even though our flesh wages war with our spirit daily, we grow as we allow God to work through those hard places. That joy prompts us to shine outward. What a beautiful message! This blesses me today Kelly:)
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Hope… it’s what gets me through my trial-by-fire-days with my mood disorder. And it does give the ability to stand up, to keep pressing on, He becomes my fuel!
Love your post today, friend. An anthem of Hope!!!
Amen! Thank you for this beautiful reminder today! Blessings as we walk to the cross this week and into the light on Easter.
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Oh, the quiet beauty of hope–the constant in the background. 🙂 Hope you and your family have a blessed Holy week, Kelly. Thanks for hosting the linkup. ((hug))
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THIS: “What if glimmer was just a matter of letting God’s light bust through our darkness?” There is a Japanese art form kintsugi where they put gold, silver, or platinum laquer over the cracks in a piece of pottery. It reminds the owner that light shines through the darkness; through our brokenness. It treats the cracks as part of the history and not as something to be repaired.
I love how His glory shines brightly through our cracks. 🙂
I love your thoughts that the shine doesn’t come in and of ourselves, but “God’s glory is always found within our tension points.” He can use our pain for His glory and our spiritual growth. Thank you, Kelly. Have a joy-filled Easter!
“God’s glory is always found within our tension points.” — Needed to hear that today, Kelly. Thanks for this encouraging word. Hugs
Kelly,
Thank you for reminding us we can lean into our pain because God intends gain for us…it won’t be wasted. Happy Easter early and a blessed Holy Week to you 🙂
Grateful for this hope-fueled post today!
Kelly, there’s such freedom in knowing that I don’t have to produce my own shimmer. Instead, when I’m clinging tight to Jesus, looking to Him in the midst of my life’s hard, He can glimmer, sparkle through me. I’m so, so glad it’s not up to me to force a Jesus-reflection.
And I LOVED your application of Rom 5:3-5:
When great joy emerges out of great struggle, people notice. Glory!
When peace is found over hardship. Glory!
When God grants unspeakable calm in the midst of doggone electricity storm. Glory!
When insight speaks into an impossible situation. Glory!
Glimmer! Sparkle! Shine! Power! Light unquenchable.
When we endure and then endure and then say, “No matter what Heaven awaits!” Glory!
We can lean into pain, knowing that God, by his very nature,will always use it – for spiritual gain. In that we can trust.
Thanks for this. Have a wonderful Easter.
This past weekend I had the privilege to sit with a few precious hearts over a few cups of coffee and His Word. We talked about belonging and about wondering where we fit and how we, too, are not sure we sparkle as we would like to. And then one glimmer of hope lit a tender flame of encouragement within when we each shared just one thing that we saw in the other that was a reflection of God’s goodness. Just those little reminders that He is working in us and that His beauty reflecting out in the world is enough to shine bright lights in dark places.
You shine brightly into the places you send your words, Kelly. :)Thanks for reminding us of hope.
Blessings,
Dawn
Yes friend light unquenchable, light inextinguishable, light that permeates every dark recess, crack and corner.
I love the idea of “sparkling” for Jesus!! Makes me smile! Thanks for the breath of fresh air and encouragement today, dear sister!
Your visual was spot-on: Sparkle! I love it! It changes the soul countenance – and leaves me smiling!
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