In the Hand of God

I've never read anything by Mother Teresa, but the little I know about her I certainly think is admirable. I heard this quote of hers the other day that really touched me:

"I am a pencil in the hand of God,

writing a love letter to the world."

This goes along with a theme of things I've been hearing the past couple of weeks, basically all with the same idea, that we are meant to be instruments that God can use to express His message to the world. When we are yielded to Him and in proper relationship with Him, His love and His glory can shine through us, making an impact on the world around us, just like it did with Mother Teresa. That is certainly a challenge to me - I want to be used in this way, I want to reflect God's light like a mirror. But it's so easy to just get caught up in myself and forget to keep my mirror polished so it can brightly shine. Or I don't even point my mirror in the right direction so it can catch the light it was created to reflect. I was especially challenged with a thought yesterday. I am on the Praise Team at church, and all the time people are coming to me and telling me how much they like to watch me sing because they can see that I'm really worshipping and they can see the light of God in me. I really appreciate those comments and am encouraged by them, but at the same time, I don't want that to be only when I sing. I want to be sitting at my computer at work and still look just the same. I want people to be able to look at my face at any time and see the light of God shining in me, not just when I'm singing praise songs at church. I want the clerk at the post office to see the Holy Spirit in my countenance, I want the girl who works at Subway to feel God's love coming through me as she's making my tuna salad. That is going to be a slow process, I think. I think it won't happen overnight, but my mirror will be slowly polished and shine more and more as I focus more on God's Word and on becoming more yielded to Him. But it's quotes like that from Mother Teresa that will help keep me focused and pointed in the right direction. Because reflecting the glory of the Creator is why He made me in the first place.

I also came across this clip of a story that was on CNN recently about a little girl who has been marvelously gifted, and she's already using her talents to shine for her Creator. I may not be as talented, but I sure want to shine!