I love to see the sun shining on water or ice and the sparkles it makes. They are so beautiful! A couple months ago I heard a message about sparkles on the water. When the clouds cover the sun, we can’t see the sparkles. But once the clouds move on and the sun returns, we can again see the sparkles.

The message was about times in our lives when we feel hopeless. There’s no sunshine and there’s no sparkles. When these times are prolonged with suffering, pain, and grief, it can feel like we may never see the sun again. But the sun is there, even if hidden, whether we see it or not. And the Lord is there to help us, whether we feel like it or not.

This message had such an impact upon my life, but in an unusual way. I immediately equated the sparkles I see with hope, and started a pursuit of intentionally searching for sparkles of hope each day. Each morning I wait eagerly for the sun to come up over the mountain so I can start looking for sparkles.

Some days when the ground is wet from rain or dew, or when there’s been frost, snow or ice, and the sun in shining brightly, the sparkles of hope are all around me. I go from window to window around the house gazing at the beauty of all the sparkles. My daily search for sparkles of hope has led to such joy.

Other days when the clouds have covered the sun completely, it’s a struggle to find even a single sparkle. But God is so faithful to continue to show me He is with me each day, even if all I see is one tiny sparkle somewhere at some point during the day.

One cloudy, rainy day on the way to church, I wasn’t expecting to see any sparkles because of the weather. But to my delight, when we passed oncoming cars, there were the sparkles on the road or in the puddles on the sides of the road made from shining headlights. 

On another day when the roads were dry and the headlights from oncoming cars weren’t making sparkles, I was quite surprised when a car approached from behind and I saw the sparkles off its headlights through my rear-view window. That day the sparkles were following me.

I’ve even seen sparkles at night. One night I looked out the window to see the outside light was shining on the frost on my car, and the sparkles were dazzling. I have found that if there is not even a single sparkle to see anywhere outside, I can still manufacture my own sparkles when I put hand cream on my hands and the light shows some sparkles.

There is always hope and joy to be found if we’re willing to look for them. We may have to work at it a bit when it’s in short supply, but it’s more of a decision than a feeling. God is always willing to show up when we look for Him.

If sparkles aren’t your thing, then God will make another way for you. He knows exactly what unique way will speak hope to you, and is waiting to fill you with hope and joy. Just ask Him to show you what that way is for you. He is faithful to reveal it, and then you can make the decision to be continually pursuing.

Hope Ministries is a Christian counseling center, and we are here to help. If you would like to speak confidentially with someone, give us a call at 845-482-5300.