Do not be afraid to let your light shine. This world, you are not of it. You were made in all the beautiful glory and spitting image of God. Yes, that God. The One who came and died for your sins. The one who will literally love you no matter what. Stop putting your hopes into the hands of human beings. They make the same mistakes you do. Stop caring so much about that boy, or that girl. If they are meant to be in your life they will be. Stop begging for so many things. Things will only get you so far. Yes, a new car would be great. Yes, fixing that cracked phone screen may make things easier. In the end, none of those things matter. Not one single bit. What matters is your soul. Please, do not neglect your soul. Your soul is who you are, always. Be good to your soul. Love it. Give it that vitamin G (grace). Never forget where you came from.

All of these things are what I believe the bible verse Matthew 5:14 is trying to say. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden". It's such a gorgeous concept, isn't it? Your light is there to be shone across the land. Yes, life has heartbreak and hurt but do not let that dim your light. Think about the panic that strikes when a city goes out of power. Think about if the city of Chicago could be seen, up on a mountain top, from far away lands. If all of those lights when out, what would happen? The world would be in panic. There would be story after story about the darkness. So why do you not treat yourself the same? You were made to be a light. You are a beacon of hope to other people whether you realize it or not.

You are an example for so many people. Never forget that. Never stop striving for that greatness that you were made for. Never stop trying to pursue your dreams. Never stop trying to fit into God's plan for you. You were literally meant to shine for all of the world to see. There is darkness inside each one of us. Sometimes, the darkness never seems to lighten. We surround ourselves with the dark things of this world and convince ourselves that this is who we are. We forget that there is an inherent light inside each and ever one of us. We forget that darkness is temporary. We forget that all we simply need to do is turn on the light. No matter how dark it may be, if we simply remember to flip the switch, or even light a candle, we can still become a beacon hope. Even if it is only a beacon for yourself, don't hide your light. Be a city.