Proverbs 4:18 “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
What do a VW bus, a grandpa with his granddaughter and her best friend, the month of March and the beach have in common? If you guessed Spring Break in Florida—you would be correct! All four years of college Grandpa drove my friend, Cindy Kitchen, and me to Daytona Beach to escape the cold weather and rigors of academia to bake in the sun with a few thousand other students. The first year we had planned to stay in the camper with Grandpa, but when we arrived at the campground the owners refused to let us park there because they were afraid Cindy and I would attract too many boys! I’m not kidding. (Quite an ego boost at the time). Our only recourse was to pool our money and get a motel while Grandpa found another spot to camp.
It actually worked out well for two adventurous co-eds who had no idea of what they were doing. And dear Grandpa was quite content to visit us on the beach each day. In fact, we had such a great time that the following year Grandma came with us, and the year after that my younger brother Marty, tagged along. By our senior year Cindy’s younger brother had joined the entourage as well.
As I look back on those years, it’s only now that I realize how vulnerable I was. Although I professed Christianity, my faith throughout those undergraduate years was only beginning to be tested. I would soon face challenges to compromise around every corner. It wouldn’t be until the end of graduate school that my faith became my own.
I’ve often wondered why I didn’t fall away. I think it had a lot to do with those Spring Breaks. Oh, not the trips themselves, but their representation of my grandpa’s unconditional love…and in turn, God’s. It’s a lot harder to reject God when you have seen him so clearly through one of his servants.
I don’t know if you are a grandparent, a parent, an aunt or uncle, maybe just an outstanding friend, but there are people in your life God wants you to influence. He has picked you to show them what he’s like. So whether or not you see immediate results, let your path shine ever brighter. Keep investing “till the full light of day.”