Sparks of God's Glory

I am currently reading a biography about a man who was sucked into Stalin's gulag. The man and his fellow prisoners suffered terribly in a camp far above the Arctic Circle. It is a depressing story with the only glimmers of light being hopes for release that were agonizingly dragged out, only to be dashed in the end. The only release for nearly all of the prisoners came through death. The man was an atheist, as were all of the others he knew. Religion of any kind, or any hope for salvation, is missing in this darkness.

By contrast, Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie, who were also prisoners at the same time, but victims of a Nazi death camp, were devout Christians who managed to spread hope in that horrible place. Corrie said, "You may never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have."

And it came to me that we are all in the same situation as these prisoners.

We spread joy or pain in our own worlds to our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers by our behavior, by what we say and how we say it, by our actions--how we drive; the things we laugh at or cry over; what we do at school, at work, or in our neighborhood, for others or against them; the kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and generosity we show, especially to animals, children, and the elderly.

We spread God's love or our own lack of faith wherever we are when we share our fears and worries, our hurts and anger, or our trust in God and our belief in His love, light, and peace. If we believe this world is all there is or that God has a better place for us after death will--or should--make a difference in how we live, speak, and act.

"Again Jesus said, 'God's kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn't understand how. It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. Then when the harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle.' " Mark 4:26-29 (CEV)

We don't know what will happen or who will ultimately be influenced by us when we put God's truth into practice daily in our lives. "You may be the only Gospel others ever read." We are all sparks of God's perfect glory.

MY GIFT?
Over and over we are told to witness for Jesus. I'm sorry, but I'm just not very good at that sort of thing. I have no great testimony to give. I never took drugs or drank or smoked or caroused. I've led a very quiet life, although I'm sure I've given my guardian angel some gray hairs (Do angels get gray hair? :-) ). If he thought he was getting a nice quiet librarian-type who liked to write stories, he was in for a big surprise. Or two. I can hardly go five minutes without getting into trouble.

But I do want to be a part of the work God is doing. I do want to serve Him. I do want Him to widen my world. I do want to see others as He sees them, to help others, and to share His love with them.

I pray about this and tell Him that I want to serve Him, and I cry because I always mess it up when I try to speak of the Gospel.

The other day when I prayed, I asked Him to give me the words to say. And it suddenly dawned on me that my gift for sharing is in the inspirations He gives me, the "revelations" I receive now in my morning quiet times and have throughout my life, not in the way of "spreading of the Gospel" by buttonholing strangers on the street as I had supposed.

In my stories and my poems and in such a way as this one, lie my talents.

We all have differing abilities. We are what we are--what He made us, each of us fashioned in a unique way with individual needs and strengths, dreams and hopes, talents and gifts.

IN THE SILENCE

To proclaim faith and light and peace and joy to others, we must first have it in ourselves. Then God’s joy and wisdom and energy and love and compassion flow through us to others. And we become the Gospel that others read if they read none other. Will we become perfect at it? No, but we can strive. In time we each become a living flame of love.

{From A Journal of the Spirit, a Journey of the Soul, by D.C. Ice, Dec. 31, 2003.}

IN THE SILENCE

I was concerned that I do not witness for Christ, that I do not go out and preach and try to convert people and that maybe I should do more. I don’t even have children to lead to Christ. Then the chapter I read this morning was Matthew 5, and it was as if Jesus said to me, "You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." And I realized there are other ways to win people. St. Francis of Assisi said, "Be special. You may be the only Gospel your neighbor will ever read."

{From A Journal of the Spirit, a Journey of the Soul, by D.C. Ice, Dec. 3, 1987.}