Excuse me, but your...

I can't recall the exact instance, but I can recall the DREAD I felt after being out in public, and someone telling me that my zipper was down. More recently, when my eyebrows were actually smudged way off my face. Both times I was just walking around like nothing was wrong, and then BAM! 

When the zipper thing happened, I found myself wearing leggings a little more often. Can't have an undone zipper on pants that don't have a zipper, can ya now? When my eyebrows started out on point, and then later lost all "points" and were blurry smudges across my forehead... I had a figure out a solution. (This is how my glitter brows were born btw)

But in all seriousness, it's safe to say there's SOME level of unease when someone comes up to you, looking nervous about what they're about to say, have jumpy eyes, and they not-so-discreetly try to be discreet. To top it off, they start with "excuse me, but your ______ is showing, or your ______ is off." 

We enter panic mode, get embarrassed, turn bright red. There are lots of options, and even more degrees to which we can experience each option. yay?

But what if we lived a little more like we KNEW Who our identity was in? What if we were SOOOOO ALL-IN for God, that the toilet paper on your shoe now makes you crack up with laughter, inviting a presence of JOY into an-already-stuffy-room? What if having the LAST person of the night finally tell you what you ate before the party was in your teeth, reminded you to share the recipe rather than feel like a fool? It's easy to say now, because I've already lived through those eyebrow experiences. (I say those because there were many.) Let's just say I've learned my lesson and those babies aren't budging. But in all seriousness, these conversations would really set me over the edge. I couldn't let them go after they happened, I was mortified for hours, and if it was really bad, I'd seek out something that would make me forget about what just happened. 

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

What if we weren't worried about  focused on anything except the brightness of the light radiating from us? Maybe a downed-zipper would be comical instead of chaos. Maybe a fashion faux-pas would become Avantgarde with a little humility. 

What if we heard, "excuse me, but your Jesus is showing!" checkmate.

Not only does that make us feel relieved we aren't tracking around bathroom-funk, but it's a COMPLIMENT! Now we can respond with "thanks!!" and keep moving forward. Could you imagine going from a place of dread to a place of *hoping* someone starts off with "excuse me.."?!?

What if. WHAT IF that light shone so bright, that people not only accepted your answer, but asked how THEY can have that light/joy/peace too?! JACKPOT!

WE JUST WENT FROM MATTHEW 5 TO MATTHEW 28 LIKE THAT! "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:19-20

I want to challenge you to be a little more bold in faith today. I want you to pray for someone who is so clearly struggling. I want you to reach out to someone who you haven't talked to in a while, and tell them you're praying. It might take a little time, but live so passionately (in your special way) for Jesus, someone is BOUND to notice Him shining through. 

**The aim is to get a sincere compliment that the love of Jesus is very evident in your life, your choices, all of it. Be cautious not to let your flesh take over and seek these compliments for YOURSELF. We want authentic Jesus shining; not some janky, poorly-rigged, light-bright version that is us. #sorrynotsorry

YOU are the 1 He left the 99 for. People won't care about the broccoli in your teeth if they're blinded by the Light.