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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