I am once again waking up in a land of boxes. 

We have now been in the new (to us) house for a week. I’m writing from the back porch, and I can hear church bells from the Lee University campus and birds singing.

Lately God has been using songs to speak to me and I love it.

One morning before we moved, I was on my walk feeling so overwhelmed and the song “Shout To The Lord” interrupted my pleas. It started right in the middle of the song – ‘mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name’. I stopped my “pleases” and started praising – singing aloud. I found the song on my phone and played it on repeat for the rest of the walk. I knew that God was telling me that He was faithful and that He had my back.

This past week a reader wrote to me and asked why we moved again after only being in our home for seven months. We had just moved to Tennessee from Washington in the fall of 2020.

The house we moved into when we arrived was the only house available close to my husbands work. The market was crazy, and houses were selling within hours, so we bought it. It was cute and clean, but it needed some renovating. The worst part for me was that it did not have a porch or any outdoor place to gather.

When I lived in Washington, I used my porch and yard for church events, youth events, team events and social gatherings. I didn’t realize how not having the potential to do so here would affect me.

One day my husband, Todd, called me with excitement to tell me about a house in the historic district that had come on the market. He was dropping everything to go see it and he wanted me to come too. I was not thrilled to think we could be moving again, and I started complaining under my breath.

This house was so charming, did not need as much renovating and it had a front porch as well as a back porch.

I was standing in the very setting I had prayed for, complaining that I would have to move again! 

Can you believe it?

A week before we moved, I was walking and thanking God for the clear guidance in our move to Tennessee and now for the incredible timing of the new house. I was interrupted again with a song – This Little Light Of Mine!  (Lyrics below)

The song we sang in our childhood church school class has such a profound message.

I knew God was telling me that I am to use this new house to let His light shine. To bless others and serve Him, as I had done with our home in Washington.

Having been in a house for the last 6 months that I could not see out of or serve out of was starting to make me complacent.

I hadn’t even realized that the depression I was feeling came from not serving Him in the very way He created me to serve.

Here was God reminding me that Satan tries to blow out the very light that I am to shine. I was not paying attention to the bushel that the enemy had me hiding under.

This morning I’m on my porch and the song He sang to me is, I can see clearly now the rain is gone!  I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.

It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day!

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine

Let it shine, all the time, let it shine

All around the neighborhood
I’m going to let it shine

Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m going to let it shine

Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m going to let it shine

Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.

Don’t let Satan it out!
I’m going to let it shine
Don’t let Satan it out!
I’m going to let it shine

Let it shine, all the time, let it shine!

THINK ABOUT IT

What obstacles (bushels) has Satan used lately to blow out the very light God has placed in you?

I love hearing from you, so please reply and share your thoughts!

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