Have you ever had an encounter with someone at just the right time in your life and it changed everything?

Well, that happened to me this year. I will never forget my encounter with a man that I met who left a positive impression on me. In fact, I do not remember his name, but I will never forget his kindness and compassion towards me at one of the roughest moments of my life. You see, I walked in his office, and he did something that surprised me from the start of our conversation. He listened! Yep, he had every reason to take over the conversation and tell me what he thought but instead he listened.

I did not share it with him at the time, but the moment he displayed to me that he cared enough to listen, I felt comfortable sharing my concern with him. I began to share, and after sharing the journey my family had been on and the pain we endured after my sister died, he said, “I am so sorry for the loss of your sister.” I stood there for a moment in disbelief and for a moment wondered if I heard him correctly.

Then he said it again, “I am so sorry for the loss of your sister. Do you need to sit down? Would you like some water?” We sat down; he gave me water; he listened, and he helped me understand my options to the obstacle that I faced.

I walked through the doors to speak with him with a heavy burden, and when I walked away, my circumstance was the same, but he managed to lighten the load a bit and pointed me towards information that gave me hope. Oh, and what I admire the most is that after the conversation, he invited me to fellowship with his family.

After our conversation, I walked away overwhelmed by his act of kindness and thoughtfulness. He let his light shine that day.

Scripture tells us in Matthew, we, as Christians are to let our light shine.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." – Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

We should not hide or let the world dim our light. We are to shine!

Yes, we are going to have giants to slay! Your “giant” might be financial issues, relationship issues, or fear about your future. However, just like David, God will give us enough strength to slay one giant at a time, one day at a time.

My prayer is that we would let our light shine! We can do that by listening and praying with a co-worker, helping our neighbor with a project, or meeting a volunteer need in our communities. When those giants come along, I pray we trust God to give us the strength to tackle them. Then, we wake up the next day and repeat the process. Yes, our process as Christians will be to shine, slay, and repeat! Now, remind those around you to shine, slay, and repeat!

Click image to help me light up the world!