Shine Bright

I have a friend I met during my short stent of insurance sales.  We actually worked together for a couple of different companies.  We’d both been laid off and had struggle to find a job that would make ends meet, we somewhat enjoyed, and we felt relatively safe day to day.

Over the course of the 2 ½ years we worked together, we’d talk about this prospect or that job lead.  We discussed our wives, our kids, and how our inability to secure a good-paying job was impacting those who were close to us.  We were, and are, each blessed with loving, supporting wives who try to bolster our egos to help us get through another day of no-shows and rejections.

He too, is a man of faith and struggled with where we were and wondered why he was going through such struggles.  “I do everything I’m supposed to do; I fall on my knees nightly and pray.  Pray not for myself and my needs but for the needs of others.”  He’d go on to say, “I go to Mass either Saturday night or Sunday depending on our schedule” and he’d even started going through the week.  Why is God putting me through this, he’d ask.   We’d then go on to agree with the age old adage, that God will never put more on you than you can handle.

Our discussion would usually wind up in a philosophical agreement that the Lord took care of the Israelites while in the desert.  He would provide for them what they needed when they needed it and in a lot of respects that’s exactly what the Lord was doing for us.

I realized that I’ve not talked with him in a month or so, and in that thought reflected on those conversations and it dawned on me. The difficulties have served to give us an opportunity to show to the world just how amazing He is.

These difficult times have given us the tools to deal with adversity and it’s those tools we can use to help ourselves and others during adversity.   We must remember that these tools are a gift from Him and we must always let other know of His generosity.

Perspective, both in the struggles we will face day to day, or possibly week to week.   It’s not as bad as it was and we made it through that time, or when we faced this before we overcame it by…  It also allows us to understand the situation others are in and have some idea of the emotions involved in that situation.  We can use these times to remind ourselves and others of His mercy.

There are many other examples and I could go on and on, but I think it is best defined this way, “In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven”  Matthew 5:16

Don’t hide from the difficulties of the day but embrace them.  Seek His guidance and mercy and shine so that the whole world may praise God.