Sparkle

It was 7:45 a.m. I needed to be up by seven, so I hoisted my pregnant body over the mound of pillows and out of the bed to stumble towards the bathroom. “Oh, I just remembered I was supposed to wake you up after I got out of the shower. Sorry,” my husband sheepishly offered and leaned down for a kiss.

Within minutes, I was enclosed in steamy bliss mentally checking off my to-do list for the morning. I had a doctor’s appointment at ten, and my parents were coming by to pick up the kids to spend the night at nine. I stepped out, pulled on my robe, and headed down to make a pot of coffee knowing I should have packed the children’s bags the night before. While Mr. Coffee worked his magic, I woke up two little people. Soon, I was knee-deep in pajamas, toothbrushes, and ponytails.

Somehow, the peaceful morning cup of coffee and time in God’s Word I imagined turned into a chaotic morning cup of water and a granola bar, as I worked to get the kids dressed, packed, and out the door with my parents. Alone at last, I had but fifteen minutes to put on make-up, dry my hair, and dress. I juggled eyeliner and the hair dryer frustrated the morning was not going according to plan.

Needing something to elevate my hormone-laden emotions, I walked into the closet looking for happy on a hanger. I’m a firm believer you can dress how you want to feel. I quickly scanned through my maternity selection, but my eyes were drawn further down the line to something black and sparkly. Sequins. Just looking at it made me smile. I giggled at the thought of pulling that stretchy sequined vest over my pregnant belly and knew at the same time I’d already made up my mind to wear it.

In no time flat, I walked out the door – sparkly. It didn’t matter I had to turn off the pumpkin spice coffee without getting to drink a drop. There was a bounce in my big-bellied step. I backed out of the driveway, cranked up some praise tunes, and sang all the way to the doctor.

In life, there are many (can I stress many?) times things don’t go according to plans.

Job loss.

Unwanted test results.

Loss of a child.

Unexpected financial burdens.

Marital discord.

The list goes on. But there is something we can do. No, I’m not suggesting you all go out and buy a black sequined vest. (But it wouldn’t be a bad idea.) I propose on bad days, we add a little sparkle. When you sparkle, you give off or reflect light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5 NIV) If you choose to “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14 NIV), you will sparkle from the inside out.

Putting on sequins didn’t change the fact I was fifteen minutes late to my appointment or that I never got to sip any of my java. I couldn’t change any of that no matter how much I wished. What changed was my outlook on the situation. Christ has the same effect on our problems. Adorning ourselves with the Living God doesn’t automatically make our troubles disappear, but it does change the way we look at them. We shift our focus from the mountain to the Mountain Mover.

So if tomorrow you awake and things go awry, head to the closet – the prayer closet. Then choose to put on Christ. In no time flat, you’ll be walking out the door – sparkly.

Visit Carol at sheep to the right!