Saturday, May 31, 2008

From Guest Blogger Glen Bryant


Have you ever noticed how people react to things that are shiny and new? It’s like we are drawn to physically and verbally react. Cars are a good example. When we see a brand new car with its shiny new paint and chrome, we almost always make some comment showing how much we admire the newness and the “shine”. Even with my older car, when I wash it, I always turn as I’m walking away to get another look at it because the shine makes me happy…it gives me a good feeling. The same principle applies to people we see.

A little over five years ago, there was an experience in my life that changed me forever. You see, I had been in the “party scene” for most of my life. Starting in high school, I began using alcohol and drugs and had continued far into my adult years. I knew a lot of people who “shined” when they were using, but they quickly lost that shine when the drugs wore off. I was the same way. I tried to make sure that the good feeling I had wouldn’t wear off by keeping a steady supply of drugs and alcohol at my disposal. If the good feeling starts to wear off you simply supply your body and mind with what it needs to maintain the feeling of happiness. Of course that didn’t always work. Sometimes no matter how much I used, the feeling of happiness was unachievable. The things that I had relied on to make me happy weren’t working like they used to…they were only temporary at best. That’s when God stepped in.

I received an invitation to go to church from a co-worker and for whatever reason I said yes. So the next Sunday I got up, got cleaned up and dressed, did some meth (speed), and headed for church. I felt pretty safe going to church high because I figured these church folk wouldn’t be able to tell anyway, but I’ll never forget walking into the sanctuary and seeing people I knew from the party crowd, even one guy I used to buy a lot of my drugs from! People were smiling and truly happy to see me, even people I didn’t know. But what really got my attention was when the music started and I began noticing the “shine” on the faces of some of the people up on stage. It was different. I stood there trying to figure it out. What was it about these people? It was like being in a parking lot…some of the cars stand out because they are shinier than the rest. This was people though, and they definitely were shining brighter than anyone I’d ever seen. They had something I wanted. I had to find out how to get it for myself.

A month later I threw away the drugs I had. I was figuring this thing out. The happiness I had while using was a lie. The happiness they had, seemed to be coming from inside. It was a “natural” high. How cool is that! No more hangovers! It all started with the “shine” I saw in the faces of some of the people. It’s like this. Have you ever been in a room with no windows when the lights go out? It’s completely dark, and you try to find some kind of light to focus on. Then you see a crack of light coming from under the door and you head straight for it. You know that’s the way to go so the fear of being in the darkness will go away, and that when you are in the light you will be safe and happy to be out of the darkness. I saw a light in these people I had never seen in any bar or at any party. I was drawn to it, and I wanted what they had.

You see, the shine I saw in those peoples faces was coming from inside…it was coming from their heart. It was real, it was natural, and I was starting to feel it myself. I could see the light in the darkness and I was headed straight toward it. It wasn’t sunshine I saw, it was son-shine. They were shining because they knew that the Son of God was living in their heart. They were shining because they knew that Jesus had sacrificed Himself to pay the price for all the wrongs they had done and will do. They were shining because of the promise of eternity in heaven with the one who shined brighter than all the others. But just like a car, it takes a lot of work to get and keep the “shine”.

Our cars get dirty, scratched, and dinged-up just like we do. Our relationship with God is what keeps us clean, like reading His word and doing what it says, talking to Him (praying), and leaning on Him through the good and tough times. Even though we have some dings and scratches that will always be there, through “Christ in our lives” we can “shine” like brand new every day, and just like that brand new car in the parking lot stands out among the others, my goal is to be a light to others just like those who shined the light for me when I was standing in the darkness of my sin. I want to be like the people who allowed God to use them. The “Son-Shine” in their faces and lives, saved my life.

By Glen Bryant

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