Shine Your Light

This is a bitter sweet post. Bitter because this will be my last "Marriage from a Distance" column. Sweet because God is leading me on new adventures! I want to focus on the sweetness of this parting.

As I sat in church Saturday night we began singing a Micheal W. Smith praise song, Mighty to Save, and God touched my heart and told me this was the farewell message I was to share with you moms. The words that grabbed me this night were these:

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King…Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King…Jesus

Although living in a marriage from a distance is hard, tough, and sometimes lonely, we are still called to bring glory to our Father. Rather than sitting back and thinking "poor me", we need to be brave because we were made for this! We still need to shine our light to our family, neighbors, friends, community, and the world. We need to let everyone know that rather than choosing to focus on the hardships of life that we are going to lean fully on God and GO!

I know marriages are suffering, relationships are injured, job security is weakening, and financial troubles are staring us in the face and we do need to give attention to these as needed. But do not allow Satan to rob you of your joy nor dampen out your light for God! Don't' forget to be brave...you were made for this!

Remember to obey God's calling and to follow His lead; His rewards far out way our costs. Do not give up on your husband, children, friends, family, work, or yourself! Keep shining your light, asking God to strengthen you, guide you, and to hold you...He will! Don't forget to be brave...you were made for this!

As for me, God has me shining my light in two new ways. I accepted a job to run our church's coffee bar and to bake for it as well! I never would have dreamed that I'd ever be running a coffee bar or selling my baked goods for that matter. I am not a coffee drinker (only a social coffee drinker...and that doesn't happen all of that often), so I find God to be rather humorous to have given me this new responsibility.

God is also leading me to start a local support group for moms who are living a marriage from a distance. I don't know the details of how this group is going to work, but God will not let this need leave me alone. I know that He will guide me through this journey and use me to the fullest. So I will turn my marriage from a distance focus from the world abroad to my local area.

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share my heart and to grow with you. I hope and pray that you all will keep your focus on God, keep shining your lights for Him, and to always be brave because you were made for this!

Need a little help being brave today? Watch this Micheal W. Smith video...I guarantee it will help you to be brave!

Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his. (Daniel 2:20 NIV)