For the last month, I have had the opportunity to intern at Sonlight. It has been such an amazing experience, and I have enjoyed it so much. One of my intern projects has been working on starting an encouragement section of the Sonlight blog. This is a place where Sonlight staff can write spiritually encouraging messages that share Christ’s message, love and light with us wherever we might be.
As a part of my internship, I had the opportunity to be a counselor at the Mid-High retreat. At the retreat, we talked about how each of us, God’s child, is like a beautiful unique snowflake.
“Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.” {Psalm 139}
Snowflakes have an intricate formation process, usually starting with little ice crystals that form around a tiny piece of dust. It is unfathomable to think that something so small and seemingly insignificant can be transformed into such a beautiful creation. Sometimes in life, we don’t feel that much better than an insignificant piece of dust floating by. Our lives get dusty, and our sense of direction looks a bit cloudy. Thankfully, in the midst of this, we have God who makes beautiful things out of the dust. A God who sees value, potential, and sheer beauty in our dustiness. One who takes each of us, though small and little, and works His big wonders. A God who forms us into a stunning, unique, new creation, turning each of us into little snowflakes.
“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!” {Matthew 5:14-16}
One thing that I have always found fascinating about snowflakes is that when they come together and the sun shines on them, it creates an amazing sparkle. The snow reflects the sunlight for all to see. I think that when all of God’s snowflakes gather together at camp, it creates an amazing reflection like this of God’s light. A reflection that is like the bright light, illuminating the city on the hill. We, as little snowflakes are called light bearers, shining the light of Jesus!
Whether we are at Sonlight or at home, each of us is God’s snowflake that He can use to reflect His love and light for the world to see. In The Message, 1 Corinthians 11:10 describes us as a “beautiful shining reflection of God.” My hope is that this encouragement blog would encourage you to let your light shine each day, wherever you may be.
Shine on.
~Molly Black : Durango, CO
