My heart is full. SHINE
seems to be a running theme in life. This week we had the final evening of a
course called SHINEWomen we’ve been running the past 6 weeks with some amazing
women I work with. It was an evening of life. There was laughter, tears and a
deep sense of fellowship. It’s been a privilege to journey with these women
through looking at value, strength and purpose, and walk together in
discovering dreams and purpose in life. I feel so honoured. Honoured that I get to invite them into truth that will bring freedom and build them up, and honoured
to have an amazing team with me to create a space that is welcoming and a safe
place to share joys and struggles. A place where each one can SHINE.
It’s interesting how
the last time SHINE was in my path was 5 years ago in Brazil when we were
running the SHINE Seminar. In that Shine we were equipping people to minister
in the area of the global sex trade and bring a Christian response. A different
kind of shining. A shining of light into dark places to expose the darkness,
but also bringing those who had been captive and hidden into the light, and presenting
the light of hope to them. This time it was about bringing into the light the
value and potential of each person.
And yet, as I ponder
these two SHINEs that are so very different in set-up and content, I realise
that at the heart of them they are pretty similar. Similar in that they seek to
equip and build people up to become the best versions of themselves; and
similar in empowering people to walk in what brings them life.
So as I sit here on a
sunny Sunday afternoon I remember life. Reminding myself that we have to run
after what makes us come alive, because that is when we have the greatest
capacity to bring others from survival to life. Empowering them to also become
who they were created to be, and walk in fullness of their lives.