~Shiny People~

When I looked up my name, Cassandra, it meant "to shine" or "to shine on man". I started thinking alot about it....
It is starting to make sense to me. I have to learn how to shine... or what it "means" to shine.
Where I am now, I think I am headed in that direction.

My Pastor said," A true relationship with Jesus leads to life change" (healed & saved= life change)
I have the saved part, but still working on the healing part. I still have alot that the Lord is teaching me and restoring in me.
He is healing me everyday.
Things that I know need to be restored or healed in me are: my mistrust in people (I can't make them pay for things that happened in my past), my broken heart, my need to be "accepted" and my closing off or shutting down when I get scared or nervous... and so on and so on...
So there is alot that is being worked on.
When you begin to "shine" for Jesus your values and habits change. Alot of people don't "get it"... and thats okay. Some people don't understand how you are changing or what is causing this change.
Change isn't easy. Infact, it is probably one of the hardest and most emotional things I have ever gone through.
I cant understand how the not so shiny people couldn't understand.
I didn't.
I was so covered with all the junk of the world that I couldn't believe what God was telling me. I couldn't see why He would want me.

Just like a rock. It might be dirty, chipped or broken. Everyone walks right past them, unnoticed. Those rocks are the unsaved...and the saved that aren't changed or restored yet. All God has to do is wash the dirt off. Underneath all that dirt is something strong and beautiful.
The broken ones tend to shine more and come with an awesome story.

Knowing where I am now and seeing where I was... makes me want to shine brighter. I want to be the broken rock. The one that shines and tells a story of amazing grace and how Jesus washed the dirt off and how He polished me with His love... to make me shine.
You can't do it by yourself.

We need to be able to shine so bright for the Lord, that the ones lost in the dark will see it and come running.
We need to plant seeds in the unsaved. Help wash the dirt off.
That is what Jesus did for us.

How do you shine for the Lord? Do you allow yourself to shine bright or are you scared to be that bright light? How much dirt were you covered with before you were saved and cleaned (or changed)?
Do you help to wash the dirt off of the unsaved?