Let Your Light So Shine...

There I was.

Dressed from nose to knee to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), holding a pitcher of ice water.

She was lying in the hospital bed, talking on the phone.

Then, all of a sudden, she stopped talking to the person on the phone and said to me,

"May I ask you a question?"

"Of course!" Was my reply.

"Are you a Christian?" she asked with her head cocked to one side.

Surprised, I answered, "Yes, I am."

Then again, "A born-again Christian?"

"Yes ma'am!" A bit more enthusiastically.

"I thought so. You just have that 'look' about you."

Once again, surprised, I asked, "What look?"

"You walked into this room, and your face was shining," she replied, "You have the brightest smile, you have a skirt on that is modest, and, if I'm not mistaken, your hair reaches to at least your shoulders."

She resumed talking to the person on the phone, telling her about me. "You ought to see this young lady," she said, "Her face, it just shines, and she's wearing the most beautiful smile..."

At this point, I took my leave, walked out into the hospital hallway where I just stood there for a moment and pondered what had just happened.

It was Sunday night, June 7th, around 11:45 pm. I was working the graveyard shift from 3pm to 1am. The day before had been a very discouraging day to say the least. I had fallen on my hurt shoulder, I had found out that I missed two days of work because I didn't know to check the schedule, and my car had broken down in the Wal-Mart parking lot after taking my brother to check his work schedule and then to Wal-Mart. It was almost 2:00 AM before I got to bed, plus I had to teach Sunday School. I left church after Sunday School to go home and get some rest. Two hours later, my brother calls and informs me that HIS car is now acting up and could I come follow him home? I do so, then bring him to work and meet dad in the parking lot. I also fixed the car which had had a computer chip knocked out of the lower side of the steering column.

All of this goings on had compiled a HUGE amount of stress, which would NOT help my testimony at work. So, before I went into work, I prayed. I want to make a difference for the Lord wherever I am, and I prayed that despite all the bad things that were piling up, the Lord would still be able to shine through me.

And God still answers prayer.

And that night, for the very first time, I truly understood what it meant to BE Matthew 5:14-16-"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."