SHINE

SHINE!

Shine through overcoming trauma.

Shine in not settling for less than God’s best.

Shine!

A couple months ago I was contacted about being a break out session leader for a Women’s Retreat the first weekend in May.  Yep that’s this weekend!  

The theme is, you guessed it, SHINE.  

Not Settling for Less than God’s Best and Overcoming Trauma are the two topics I’m to be sharing. Though I thoroughly enjoy speaking infront of people and have greatly missed it, I was hesitant to talk on overcoming trauma.  My exact response when it was mentioned to me?  I laughed saying, “But I’m still in it!”  And frankly, the two weeks prior to this week I have felt anything but shining and overcoming in the area of trauma.

Throughout the last year I’ve been spending much time in the book of Deuteronomy.  In fact, a few months ago after initially deciding on the topic Not Settling for Less than God’s Best, I started a post about the Israelites and their wilderness journey.  Like many of my posts in my saved folder it’s a work in progress (due more to perfectionist tendencies and a scattered mind than profound thought!)

Last week I found myself contemplating what on earth I’ll say regarding overcoming trauma.  Physically my body seemed to have regressed to where it was a few months ago.  After having been so excited in March to see progress after progress, April has been challenging (and rewarding too!) in many ways.  More on that another time!   

In the midst of my contempation I pulled out my outline for the retreat.  

Wake-up call!    ~ Insert being kicked in the pants here ~ 

I started laughing because why didn’t it occur to me that OF COURSE the very things I’m speaking on are going to be the things the Enemy tries to sock me with!

A few years ago I was going through one of the most difficult seasons in my life and found myself in an intensive counseling program.  It was the best, and one of the hardest, decisions I’ve ever done.  I was given an “assignment” to go on a hike and ask the Lord to show me a picture of my heart.  (All this was still rather new and seemed odd to me at the time so if this sounds weird I completely understand!) 

As I hiked I prayed, quietly enjoyed the surroundings, and was honestly hesitant if I’d get that picture or not.  Right about the time I started to worry that I’ll miss it and not even know if God was trying to show me something - yep doubt - the clouds parted a bit and the sun shined through.  That happens all the time, right?  

This time, it stopped me dead in my tracks.  It seemed as the Lord in all His glory was telling me: “That is your heart, Heather.  It’s trying to shine through but clouds keep covering it.”

Minutes later the evergreens burndened with the weight of heavy snow stopped me as well.    Again, I sensed my Papa declaring “Your heart is heavy with all that weight.  It wants to shine, but instead it is drooping.”

SO COOL how, if we simply get quiet before the Lord and ask Him, even everyday things will becoming stunning and create an eye-opening-bring-us-to-our-knees-will-never-forget moment!

This past fall my roommate and I went on a morning walk after the first snow.  

We saw this rose.  

A bright, brilliantly, pink bloom trying to shine amidst all that weighty snow.

To me, that’s powerful stuff.

At the end of our walk I pointed out the snow-covered tree with colorful autumn leaves that had slumped over so much it was scraping against my second-floor window.

You can barely see her, but Liz put her hood up, got under that tree and shook the dickens out of it!  

Snow was flying EVERYWHERE!  

With the weight of that snow off it’s leaves and branches it grew taller once more and was shining brightly.  

Paul exhorts us in Romans that we are more than conquerers.  We are victorious!  Nothing, absolutely nothing in this world can keep us from being that overcomer because of the love Christ has for us and what He has already done for us.  (Romans 8:35-39) 

These pictures stick with me as reminders.  I want to burst out from under any weight shake off whatever keeps me from SHINING, and live out !