Fire up your nose Rudolph and let that light of yours shine on brightly!

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

had a very shiny nose.

And if you ever saw him,

you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer

used to laugh and call him names.

They never let poor Rudolph

join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say:

"Rudolph with your nose so bright,

won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him

as they shouted out with glee,

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,

you'll go down in history!

Do you remember Rudolph?

He had many obstacles to overcome. He faced life being different. He was ridiculed by his peers and at one point in the movie he was so oppressed by his perceived misfortune that he withdrew from his family and friends and his nose stopped glowing.

Many times life does this to us just like Rudolph. Children, so-called friends, peers, family… “People” say things that we believe to be truth about ourselves and then we condemn ourselves and our lights get very dim. We withdraw, hide in our rooms, run away, try to become wallflowers so we are not noticed and basically hide from the world around us. We do things that we know are not good for us and things that can ultimately hurt us because we feel “what’s the use”.

Many times it takes encouragement from someone we respect or who we feel are influential to show us they think we are valued. Then we begin to change our thinking and see that we are not what we perceived about ourselves and that we have value after all. Once we become peaceful and make the choice to move forward, then we, just as Rudolph, can shine brightly once again.

God is all powerful. He formed, made and created all we see and touch; he knows all and sees all. There is none more influential and none who deserves more respect. In the Bible, in Ephesians 2:10, God, tells us we are valuable “for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (King James Version, (KJV))." Think of that, we are his workmanship. If God made us, then who is to say we are not valuable? No one.

God loves us and already has given us a way to overcome the oppression, to keep the light in our lives and give us a rest from our obstacles. You can read this yourself in the Bible, in Luke 1:71 “That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; (KJV)”. Luke 1:79 tells us that God’s son, Jesus Christ, came “To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (KJV).”

Believe what God, the one who hung the moon and stars, says about you and shine on, for you are valuable in the sight of God. In the Bible, Romans 10: 9-10 tells us how to be saved from the ultimate oppressor. Then reading the Bible or God’s Word builds your understanding and helps keep your light trimmed so it will shine brighter. Now fire up your nose Rudolph and let that light of yours shine on brightly!