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Salt + Sparrow

light shine through
Spiritual Growth

Healing Happens When We Allow the Light to Shine Through

December 27, 2022

OCD
Crippling fear
Miscarriages
Divorce
Death

These were (are) some of the holes I tried to hide in presenting a perfectly intact facade to the world. Only, the face I presented was not the accurate face that looked back at me from the mirror each morning.

I was a fraud. I knew I was broken. In need of saving. A therapeutic attempt to right all the wrongs encountered in my 30-something years.

Even still, I managed to pretend.

I showed up, looking as happy and put-together as I could. I made excuses for the mess behind the scenes that I was unsuccessful at hiding. I tried to look “normal,” yet felt anything but.

And then, something miraculous happened.

Jesus.

He met me where I was. He stepped gingerly over the shamble of lost hopes and broken dreams.

He brought beauty from the ashes of destruction in my life.

He allowed the brokenness, mistakes, hurt, and pain to tell a story of renewal, grace, forgiveness, and healing.

Jesus shined his perfect light through the exterior holes of my own imperfect life.

He taught me that no matter how much I mess up, I am still his beloved child.

I now see others with anxiety as kindred spirits. I empathize with their struggle. I want to help. But sometimes the best we can do is sit with them….in the pain.

I see women (and men) fighting the very real and heartbreaking struggle of infertility.

My heart hurts for them. My spirit hopes for them. I know the value of human life. I will forever be a fighter of the unborn. The miracle that is more than a choice, it is a blessing straight from Heaven’s nursery above.

I feel for those struggling with marital woes.

It is hard. So very hard. When one tries and the other shuts down.

When one steps outside, and the other dies inside.

When one longs for companionship, a deep, lasting, loyal friend for life, and the other sets their eyes upon greener pastures.

I want to shake them. I want to wake them! I want to dispel the lies that satan plants firmly in the minds of Christian men and women. But I can’t.

That healing only happens with authentic grace, forgiveness, and renewed commitment.

So, I mourn for the marriages that break. For the divorces that succeed in upping the percentage.

For the children that may never know how beautiful God meant for marriage to be. Until humans ruined the sanctity of the union with pride, ego, lust, and greed.

shining light quote by manndi wilkins

Death. I have no words. Its sting is a pain one never truly heals from.

Its separation is the epitome of heartbreak. Yet, there is a hope that comes with death.

A desperate desire for reunification.

A deep knowing our loved ones are no longer suffering. A selfish wish to hold them once again. Death is final. Mourning is inevitable. Healing is hopeful. And, knowing the greater the love, the greater the pain is a double-edged sword.

What are the “holes” of brokenness in your life?

Do you hide them, and therefore give them power over your healing?

Or, have you held them up, given them to the great physician, who not only defeats the pain deep inside, but allows his healing light of rejuvenation to shine through those holes of former brokenness.

Illuminating a healing, growth, and new beginning so bright and beautiful, it is nearly blinding to those looking on.

Give Jesus your weakness and He will be your strength.

Allow him to shine through the holes of pain defining your life.

He can take any hurt, any betrayal, any pain on earth and turn it into a thing of beauty, glory, and hope.

Your story deserves a chance for a happy ending.

Tell it to Jesus today. And watch Him rewrite those many chapters of hurt, transforming them into a story of faithful overcoming; shining light upon all those you know, and finding life in the freedom of God’s mercy, to be the very story written just for you.


The light that inspired the post.


a light shining through
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Manndi Wilkins

Manndi Maphies DeBoef works at the UMKC School of Pharmacy and as a freelance writer in her spare time. Her greatest passion is being a boy mom to her two rambunctious, creative, endearing sons, William, age 11 and Waylan, nearly 9. Her sons never fail to provide daily entertainment, which inspires many of her writings. She also loves to write about everything from being a single mom and dating after divorce to finding love later in life, the devastation of miscarriage, the loss of a loved one and starting over. Her pieces are lovingly filled with inspiration, encouragement and always a touch of humor. “Live a life others wish to read about.”

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Welcome to Salt + Sparrow, a place where we learn about Jesus, the Bible, and find big faith in small things.

"The life I’m called to live is displayed in the "The life I’m called to live is displayed in the way Jesus lived his life. Living out my purpose means to do my best to love and serve others like Jesus did, and let God’s light shine through me so that He may be glorified."

@jenjabbour 

 #faith #momsoffaith #christianmoms #relationshipwithgod #christians #christianmother #christianliving #jesusalways #truth #faithinmotion #christianlifestyle #prayer #purpose
Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth #faithquotes #christ Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth 

#faithquotes #christianmoms #truth #blessed #relationshipwithgod #prayer #christianmomma #christianlifestyle #christianity #faithblogger #christianmother #faithinmotion #faithblog #christianliving #christians #momsoffaith #biblestudy #jesusalways #faith #bibleverse #pray
Every single person you meet was created by, and l Every single person you meet was created by, and loved by God. 

Even the ones who have hurt you. 

Next time you’re tempted to act out in anger, or envy, or hurt.. stop for a moment and think.. how would Jesus behave in this situation? 

Learning to respond to others for who they are rather than what they’ve done… or the emotion their actions have triggered in you, will bring you peace and freedom. 

💛
.
.
.
.
.
#faithblogger #christianblogger #christianwomen #christianlifestyle
I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: Developing Resilience and Faith When Giving Up Isn’t an Option, by Bianca Juarez Olthoff. And it couldn’t have come into my life at a better time.

I think we’ve all gone through times in our life when failure has threatened to keep us down. When getting back up after yet another fall feels seemingly impossible.

And I hate to break it to you, but we will all face failure at some point in our lives. Sometimes repeatedly. But the really amazing thing about failure is that it give us options:

We can either let failure destroy our confidence and our faith and keep us from living up to our full potential.

Or we call view failure as another chance.

Embracing failure is a concept that may be difficult to adopt at first, but when we can view failure as a learning opportunity and quickly get back up on our feet, we win. It’s also a chance to turn to God and say hey.. here’s my weakness. And it’s only through our weaknesses that we can turn to God and find His strength.

So.. are you going to change the way you view failure? Or are you going to let it hold you back?

@biancaolthoff 

I'll link a giveaway for this book in stories so go check it out there!

#gritdontquit #gritdontquitbook #bookstagram #grit #christianbooks
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About

"The life I’m called to live is displayed in the "The life I’m called to live is displayed in the way Jesus lived his life. Living out my purpose means to do my best to love and serve others like Jesus did, and let God’s light shine through me so that He may be glorified."

@jenjabbour 

 #faith #momsoffaith #christianmoms #relationshipwithgod #christians #christianmother #christianliving #jesusalways #truth #faithinmotion #christianlifestyle #prayer #purpose
Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth #faithquotes #christ Amen 🙏🏻 @hertrueworth 

#faithquotes #christianmoms #truth #blessed #relationshipwithgod #prayer #christianmomma #christianlifestyle #christianity #faithblogger #christianmother #faithinmotion #faithblog #christianliving #christians #momsoffaith #biblestudy #jesusalways #faith #bibleverse #pray
Every single person you meet was created by, and l Every single person you meet was created by, and loved by God. 

Even the ones who have hurt you. 

Next time you’re tempted to act out in anger, or envy, or hurt.. stop for a moment and think.. how would Jesus behave in this situation? 

Learning to respond to others for who they are rather than what they’ve done… or the emotion their actions have triggered in you, will bring you peace and freedom. 

💛
.
.
.
.
.
#faithblogger #christianblogger #christianwomen #christianlifestyle
I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: I was recently gifted the book, Grit Don’t Quit: Developing Resilience and Faith When Giving Up Isn’t an Option, by Bianca Juarez Olthoff. And it couldn’t have come into my life at a better time.

I think we’ve all gone through times in our life when failure has threatened to keep us down. When getting back up after yet another fall feels seemingly impossible.

And I hate to break it to you, but we will all face failure at some point in our lives. Sometimes repeatedly. But the really amazing thing about failure is that it give us options:

We can either let failure destroy our confidence and our faith and keep us from living up to our full potential.

Or we call view failure as another chance.

Embracing failure is a concept that may be difficult to adopt at first, but when we can view failure as a learning opportunity and quickly get back up on our feet, we win. It’s also a chance to turn to God and say hey.. here’s my weakness. And it’s only through our weaknesses that we can turn to God and find His strength.

So.. are you going to change the way you view failure? Or are you going to let it hold you back?

@biancaolthoff 

I'll link a giveaway for this book in stories so go check it out there!

#gritdontquit #gritdontquitbook #bookstagram #grit #christianbooks
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"This verse isn’t promising that bad things won’t happen. It simply reminds us nothing can touch us when we live in Christ Jesus. We might experience loss and hardship, but our ultimate destination is heavenly perfection. 

So today, if you are living consumed with fear, practice surrender.

Take a deep breath and know that no matter what, you are loved and you will be ok.

God is Big Enough to hold our biggest hurts and make them beautiful." 

@mrsheidivegh 

#christianmomma #christians #christianlifestyle #faithblogger #christianmother #faithblog #faithquotes #relationshipwithgod #faithinmotion #prayer #christianliving #christianmoms #momsoffaith #truth #christianity #blessed
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