All around the planet an amazing group of people exist. You know who they are; they’re the ones who always have a little more bounce in their step, a little more excitement in their voices, and a little more sparkle in their eyes. They are, as I like to think of them, very comfortable in their own skin. Some even seem just a few moments away from a jubilation explosion every time you see them. It is my belief that these good souls keep the world in balance, acting as the opposing side of a Seesaw where worldly uncertainty, political and economic strife, and maddening anger work to usurp their leverage. The Sparkly People are everywhere, and it’s a good thing they are.
The Reverend Billy Graham once said, “Christ can put a spring in your step and a thrill in your heart. Optimism and cheerfulness are products of knowing Christ.” Wow! Could it quite possibly be that many of these Sparkly People know Jesus? I believe it may be true. Now, I am in no way so naïve that I believe all the Sparkly People are “born again, Jesus following, churchgoing believers”, but you know what? Many of them are.
St Augustine said. “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot!” Hey, was he trying to say that Christians should brighten the day of others they come in contact with? I believe he was trying to convey that exact message. Sparkly People have a motive for being so sparkly; they want others to share in their joy – the joy of knowing that this world of uncertainty has a hope filled with assurance, guidance, and destination. We are headed for a promise land void of the trials and tribulations we find so commonplace in this current world. Sin may have separated us from direct physical contact with the beings of Heaven, but that separation is for a limited time. Our time spent reaping the rewards of our sparkle-spreading here on earth will not have an end. We will not only be with the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven, but we will be with the Governor of the entire universe and every atom found in it.
The great American historian Daniel J. Boorstin said, “Human models are more vivid and more persuasive then explicit moral comments.” Jesus always instructed others to think about their actions and the results of their actions. The parables Jesus told to his listening audiences gave visual pictures of humans behaving in the way they do and the way they should. It is the human being behind that cash register, underneath that car engine, fixing that central air unit, or trimming those hedges who is going to inspire someone else to seek the source of cheerfulness and optimism the Rev. Billy Graham talked about.
Millions of people around the globe have come to accept that there is a better way to experience the world around us. The hope that Jesus Christ and His Holy Word offers provide individuals with a sparkle that can’t be ignored because its evidence is overflowing and abundant. What makes those people so sparkly is a contagious “knowing” of the fact that we are not the creation of random chance in a universe without order. But that we are instead, creatures fashioned in the image of God, with the intent of fellowship with God, and we will be called home at a time of that same God’s choosing. Our time here will seem short when compared with the eternity of Heaven. So what are you waiting for? Don’t you have some sparkling to do?
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I really liked this and I completely agree with you. Many of the Sparkly People are indeed followers of Jesus and HE is their source of sparkles. Great one, Dan!
