When the world is blocking Christ (Lunar eclipse reflections part 1)

         The world we live in is a dark place. Sometimes it seems like everything around us is determined to block out the light that we so desperately need to see, move, and live. A few weeks ago while watching the Lunar eclipse with my girlfriend, and my dad the Holy Spirit reminded me of a word picture he once gave me for my life. "If Jesus is the Sun, then you are to be like the Moon"  We were made to reflect Christ to the world, designed to take the light we receive from Jesus and shine it into a dark world. For years I have tried to live like that. Doing the best I can to share the light: the love, hope, grace, truth, and blessings Jesus has given me with those I interact with.

        What I noticed during the lunar eclipse is that as the shadow of the earth started to block the moon, part of the moon grew darker. To be real with you, my life has felt like that lately. Between stepping down from ministry, having 2 flat tires in 2 weeks, and feeling disconnected from a community of believers the world has been getting in the way of places I normally looked to see God's light in my life. It seemed as if the world was going to block out the light of the Sun and keep the moon from shining. However when the moon was mostly covered by the earths shadow I noticed it didn't stop glowing it just changed color, it turned red.
 The Earth as big as it is, with all of its distractions, with all of the struggle it can bring with it, can't block out the light of the Sun and that's when I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying to me. He was breathing some life and hope back into me. "No matter how big and dark the world may seem, It can't keep the light of the Son from reaching you." 

        Side note: just like the moon we have a normal light that we shine, but during times of change, stress, and struggle. The light we shine changes, and that's okay. As situations change its okay to change with them, just make sure you keep shining. Even when your light sees dulled, or shifts color, its still a light that needs to be seen. 

        When does the whole world turn their attention to the Moon? During crunch time when it looks like the world should block out the light it reflects that's when people take notice.  No one wrote an article about the moon continuing to shine under normal circumstances. people didn't make the moon shining like normal into news. It's when something unusually happens and when something challenging happens that people take notice. To those of you in the middle of a struggle, feeling like the world is blocking out the light of the Son be encouraged! Nothing can keep you from the Love of God. (Romans 8:39) It might just be that God is going to use the circumstances in your life to refine you, to make changes to the way you reflect his light to the world around you. Also don't worry you're not the only one in the middle of a struggle.

Praying for blessings for ya'll

L.J.

discussion questions:
1. How do you change when life gets hard?
2. How do you keep shinning when life gets hard?
3. What do you do to stay encouraged?