The Girl Who Glowed

I don’t know what she looked like to everyone else, but from the moment I saw her, she looked radiant.

Coming up on this moment, I had been walking down a dirt road from one concrete house to another. It was probably the hundredth concrete house I’d walked up to this month…or at least that’s what it felt like. I was tired of starting the same conversation over and over again, and I was resistant to the idea I’d be doing these house visits again for another month. As we walked, I spoke a prayer out loud to the teammates I was with saying, “If I have to do this for another month, You’ll have to change my heart, God…or change our ministry.” Then, we turned into the muddy “front yard” and onto the porch.

Her sisters came out first and we sat around on the front step. She came out as we were all introducing ourselves and sat down in the doorway while saying her name, “Mary.” Contrary to most prior house visits, as the conversation started up, I stayed quiet. Jonathan asked a few questions to the sisters, they gave a few answers, and I kept staring at Mary wondering why I was so intrigued by her.

There’s this concept I refer to as “God’s Glow.” Sometimes you meet people in life who, from the moment you meet them, just have something different about them. It’s as if life itself lights up just from their presence. They may not be the most good-looking person you’ve seen or the funniest person you’ve heard or even the most intelligent, but they’re captivating none the less. And Mary had it. She had God’s Glow all over her.

As I sat there, eyes discretely fixed on Mary, I heard a whisper say, “My favor is on her.”

I spent the next 10 minutes trying to decide whether I believed God had really just told me His favor was on Mary or if I was crazy and imagining her glow altogether. That’s when my thoughts were interrupted by our translator, “Kate, you have something to say?”

Crap.

“Um.Yes. I do.” I continued from there sharing with Mary that The Lord has shown His light on her so brightly she glows. I said I believe she has the favor of God on her and He is asking her to be bold in bringing her prayers and requests to Him because He loves her and desires to pour out His blessings on her and her family. As I spoke, I pictured Queen Esther going to King Xerxes in hopes of saving the entire Jewish nation from destruction, how the favor of God was on her as she brought her requests to the king, and how her bold obedience and courage did, in fact, save the Jews from an undeserved abolishing.

When I finished sharing, she responded with, “someone at church this past Sunday said the same thing to me.”

I started crying overwhelmed by God’s greatness and ability to “kill so many birds with one stone.” All in one moment, He got Mary’s attention, confirmed His promise and call to her, encouraged a family of sisters, displayed His faithful love to both of us, blessed me as His messenger, and changed my heart for the coming month.

God’s encouragement is so perfectly timed. His faithfulness is never failing. His love for us constantly finds new ways to be on display.

Meet my sister, Mary. The girl who glows.