Shine, Little Glow Stick!

On dreary, overcast days it’s easy to get in a funk and feel down and depressed. It’s especially easy to feel that way when everything all around you seems to be falling apart. But in the midst of all that, there is a bit of hope. Did you hear a little “snap?” You will soon.

There are times when we feel so beat down, stretched to our limit, bent to the point of breaking even. But lovelies, I promise you that you won’t break. Oh no, you won’t break. However, at just the right angle, when you’re bent so far that you think, “This is it, I can’t stand anymore!” if you cry out to God something amazing will happen. You’ll begin to glow like a little glow stick.

Just like a little glow stick, at just the right angle you hear a tiny little “snap” and then with a little shaking the little stick begins to glow the most wonderful color. It wasn’t broken. It didn’t break when it was bent nearly in two. Instead, its little light shines so brightly in the dark that the surrounding area around the little glow stick will light up, too.

Sometimes our circumstances will bend and twist us. People around us will shake us up a bit. We may go through things in our lives that cause us to wonder just how much more before we break. We cry out for the Lord. Then we hear that little “snap.” And while we think He’s not listening, He really is. He comes running in, smooths us out, and suddenly . . . we glow.

Our light begins to shine. And it’s not our light per se, but the light of the Holy Spirit shining through us. When that happens, a whole lot of other things begin to happen around us. People are drawn to that light. They notice. Some comment. Some just stand back and watch. But the light is there nonetheless. And it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful!

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. ~Matthew 5:14-16, The Message

We are God’s little glow sticks, shining in the darkness of the world. If we shine bright enough, others will be drawn to that light and we can help them find Jesus.

Let your light shine, dear ones. You are set on a hill and you cannot be hidden any longer. Shine for everyone to see. Because I guarantee that there is someone who is looking for that light. They are bent to the breaking point. They are searching for that beacon of hope. You have what they’re looking for.

And while a real glow stick’s light eventually fades, ours never will. So shine, little glow stick!

Shelley Wilburn

Shelley Wilburn has been writing since the age of twelve. She loves stories and adventures, and often finds herself getting into mischief with any one of her six grandchildren. She has written several articles and devotionals over the years for various newspapers, women's magazines, and newsletters. She has also co-authored devotionals. Shelley began writing full-time in 2012 after being healed of over 40 years of depression and anxiety. Using her love of writing, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal life. When not writing, you can find Shelley and her husband of over 30 years, D.A. zipping down the road in their newest adventure-maker, a bright orange, Mustang convertible Shelley has laughingly dubbed The Pony.