Day 9

Listen in

Note: Turn on the sound and make sure the volume is up.

Today’s focus:

• His presence

• Being used by God

Message:

Do You Shine Even When Under Pressure?

I keep thinking about the voice recording I sent you a couple days ago regarding the sun. I knew I was going to have to revisit the idea that the sun always shines.

Upon waking up, our mood is determined by the weather, our money, our relationships and our employment obligations just to name a few. Winter time in Chicago is usually cloudy and dreary this time of the year. There are more deaths in the fall and winter months than spring and summer. Every church that I have ever served has more home going services than ever when winter rolls around. We can link these unfortunate losses to such things the lack of sunshine, low vitamin D, depression, deaths that have occurred in prior years, mourning from missing loved ones during the holidays and the change in climate.

Let me share my revelation with you. One of the more recent flights I took had a shaky departure time because of weather conditions. A worsening severe weather storm watch was in the surrounding area. Fortunately, we did take off pretty close to the scheduled departure time. What was so fascinating to me was that once we ascended above the clouds the sun was still shinning. I asked myself a rhetorical question, “Well, isn’t the sun always shinning?”

The sun always does it’s thing, because of what it is. It’s the sun! It doesn’t take vacation. It doesn’t look like the moon when it gets closer. It’s defining purpose is to give us light and heat.

Well, I have two points for you:

1. Even when we wake up to dark clouds or a gloomy day the sun is still shinning. There just so happens to be some questionable clouds between us. The sun may also be on the other side of the planet at any particular moments of the night, but I ask you this, “Can you still remember it? Can you hold on to what it feels like to be in the presence of the sun? Why do we momentarily act as if we forgot what’s it’s like to have sun rays warm our faces? Our mood changes. Crime increases. We often give up on life as we know it when we’ve been overshadowed.

2. The sun never looses it’s essence. It’s always the sun. It’s always even when we can’t see it or the season changes. When life becomes cloudy around you do you maintain your essence? When other people don’t act right or the circumstances in your life changes, are you still who you were born to be? Or, do you allow the difficult circumstances around you to influence who you are and the way you act? Are you consistent? Can God rely on you to continue fulfilling your purpose no matter what? Or, Do you shine even when under pressure?

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