No More Hiding
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mathew 5:14
“When did you first doubt your ability?” Kat Crawford asked
during an Author Encouragement workshop at the HACWN Conference. The question made my heart race but I wasn’t sure why. A few other people that were in the workshop raised
their hands and shared stories, but I sat still as a stone, trying to get a
handle on my emotions.
As the workshop continued, I listened closely as Kat
shared her testimony and encouraged us to find a verse for our own lives. Her message was very encouraging and for the rest of the day it stayed on my mind. I decided to
pray about finding a verse for my life and let the idea marinate overnight.
The next morning I woke up with a scripture in my heart from
Mathew 5:14. You are the light of the
world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Memories from high school came flooding in, back when I used
to hide in a bathroom stall after lunch. I wanted to be invisible, convinced
that all my peers were judging me, waiting for me to mess up. In reality, I was
my toughest critic. My negative self image tore down my confidence more than any judgment from my peers.
That morning God revealed a truth that I had been denying for a long time. In many ways I was still
that scared teenage girl, hiding the gifts that God had given me, afraid I wasn’t
good enough to be used by God. My
negative self image was not only hurting me, it was also hurting God’s heart.
That verse was God’s way of saying, “Stop hiding Rachel. I
have given you a light to shine so don't hide it. Use the talents that I have given you to glorify
me” Afterwards I cried out to the Lord and asked for his forgiveness. Through my tears, He washed away all those years of self resentment and doubt.
To make a long story short, God revived my heart and gave me
a new purpose that morning. He has given
me a new confidence to share my testimony with others and encourage them to let
their light shine brightly for him.
We all have a light that God has given us. We can shine that light by using our talents
to glorify him. So I would like to
encourage everyone to follow his still small voice. Even when we feel weak, He is strong.
No more hiding. It’s
time to shine bright! J
* Special thanks to Kat Crawford for being such an encouragement to me. You can visit her website at http://lionheartedkat.com/
*Image courtesy of [Marcus] http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Rachel, congrats on starting your blog! I'm so glad the Lord encouraged and challenged you in such a mighty way through the conference. Blessings as you continue to shine on for Him!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, thank you for the encouraging words. I'm glad you enjoyed reading my first post. Praying for God's blessing in your life today! :)
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteI love you. I am proud of you. Your God given talent for writing is inspirational. Reading your stories takes the reader on a spiritual travel through love, forgiveness, sadness, happiness … You truly have a gift. Use it with pride and shine, shine, shine.
Love,
Mom B.
Thanks Mom, I'm glad you enjoyed reading. God has done some amazing things this week and I am so excited for what is to come. I pray that you have a blessed day. Love you too. :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Rachel. Thanks for sharing your healing with us. And I agree - Kat is a wonderful woman!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rebecca. I am blessed to have so many new friends to support me. God bless.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful post. Thanks for being vulnerable so God can use you to encourage others on their own journeys. It is a gift. God will use your words mightily! Blessings and success to you~
ReplyDeleteKimberly, I just saw this comment from several years ago. I'm not sure how I missed it! Anyway, thank you for the encouragement. It's amazing how much God has done in 21/2 years. God bless,
DeleteRachel
Why are we our worst critic? Your post is encouraging realize we are a city on a hill and cannot be hid so why try. Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Hazel. It was a blessing to be able to share this on your "Tell me a Story post. Thank you for giving everyone an opportunity to share their stories and for stopping by my blog for a visit. Blessings.
Delete~Rachel
Cool concept. I'm asking God to lead me to the verse for my life. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Saleslady371! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. I'm glad to hear that you were encouraged to ask God to help you find a verse for your life. It is such an encouragement to have one verse in your mind to draw from, especially when going through tough time. Whenever I am feeling discouraged, God seems to remind me of my verse. I will be praying that He leads you to just the right verse for you. Blessings.
Delete~Rachel