Let Your Light Shine

Last month I witnessed God work in many mighty ways. He showed me that it doesn’t matter where I am that I should let my love for Him shine. On November 4th I was able to do just that.
Three weeks prior to November 4th I had auditioned for our schools homecoming talent show. In fact, I was their second to last person to audition on their last day of auditions. The question rose in my heart as to why I auditioned. I felt as though it was finally the right time to. I had been wanting to perform a song in American Sign Language (ASL) since my freshman year at Texas State, yet, the timing never seemed right. Before auditioning I asked God what song he wanted me to sign, and he showed me the song was written on my shirt that day, “Redeemed”. So I auditioned with the song Redeemer by Nicole C. Mullen. As I walked onto that stage to perform I asked God, “even if I don’t make it for the actual show let this song touch someone in this room tonight. Let me do this for your glory. Let them see you”. The place where they held the audition was in one of our activity rooms where there were three judges and several onlookers. As the song began I let go and let God speak through my hands. I walked off the stage that night leaving the situation in his hands.

Performing at the Texas State
University Talent Show
A week later I received an email indicating that the judges wanted me to perform in the actual talent show! Now fast forward back to November 4th I was extremely nervous. I had been praying about the situation in the days leading up to the talent show as well as the day of, but my anxiety was taking over. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn’t performing for anybody but for God. It wasn’t till I was back stage waiting my turn that my anxiousness began to fade. As I stood waiting I sang along to the group before me whom sang a song titled, “Hallelujah”, prayed another prayer, practiced the song one last time, and took a deep breath that I finally began to feel peace. I walked on stage in front of 900+ students feeling an indescribable peace. I knew that in that instant that God was and always had been in control of the situation.

That night I did not win, God won. He used the video of me signing that song in amazing ways in the days that followed, Matthew 5:16 states, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” The video was shared on Facebook by eight different people, and I received feedback on how that video touched people in different ways. In fact, people from a few other states had also seen it. It amazed me at how God was working with my performance. People kept coming up to me with compliments and all I could do was smile and be in awe of how great our God is.


With that being said, being in college has not stopped God from using me. It has been in college that I’ve realized I really need Him. He has given me gifts and talents, and speaking in ASL is one of them. No matter where we are he wants to use us, Matthew 5:14 reads, “You are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden.” We aren’t supposed to set aside our gifts and talents for any reason. He loves it when we use our gifts that he has given us because He will use them in unfathomable ways. We don’t know the seeds we are planting when we direct others to our hope. There is no limit to what his power can do. So, my question is: What are you doing with the gifts that God has given you? Have you set them aside due to current circumstances? If so, why? I believe God can still use what he has given us even in the smallest ways. You don’t have to stand in front of a mass of people to allow your light to shine for him. More so, letting your light shine for Christ should be an everyday thing no matter who is or isn’t watching. 

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