With everything going on around me, I really thought my creativity had reached a wall that I wasn’t going to bridge any time soon. Then a writing group that I joined a couple of months ago began a 1-week writing challenge on Instagram.

Today’s word to write about was “Shine.” I remember my mind being flooded with tons of thoughts as I looked at this simple word.

I remembered the children’s song, “this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,” and wondered if I should write about that. But I wasn’t feeling much like a shining light. To be honest, I didn’t feel like there was much light shining in me at all. Besides, what picture did I have to post with it?

Then I remembered a photo I’d taken a few weeks ago on my way home from work. I pulled it out, and the thoughts flowed…

Seeing what my eyes hadn’t seen

I remember trying to take the photo and not being happy with it. I had seen a brilliant quarter moon, like a perfect crescent in the sky. But that was not what my camera had picked up.

No. Somehow my camera had gotten the entire moon, with the “invisible” part a haze, but quite noticeable. And how had that tiny star gotten in the shot (top middle)? Was it an artifact?

His eyes see what I do not

Looking again at the picture, I realized that my camera, and God, see what I do not. The more sensitive lens had picked up the haze around the entire moon as well as a tiny star piercing the night sky.

In the same say, God sees us, and our precious savior sees what we do not see — His light burning brightly within us. A whisper of hope filled my heart with new strength as I realized that the little star, and that full moon are you and I when we shine the light of Jesus.

We don’t even notice the light at times, nor do we understand how bright His light really is. But our light IS shining and other people see HIM in us. Our light may be great or small, but shine? It does.

So let’s shine for Him in 2021.