Letting God's Love Shine at Night to Shine

A couple of weekends ago, I got to share God’s love with some very important people in my life.

On Friday, February 9, I went to Thibodaux Family Church to celebrate Night to Shine with my Bridge to Independence students. For some background, I’ve been one of the social media managers at Bridge for over two years now.

Night to Shine is a prom centered on God’s love that celebrates adults with disabilities. For the last 10 years, the Tim Tebow Foundation has been sponsoring Night to Shine dances at Christian churches all over the world.

This year was my second year volunteering at Night to Shine, and the experience only got better this year. I got to dance, ride in a limo, and celebrate God’s love with some of my favorite people in the world.

My student, Stephen, dancing with me at Night to Shine.

However, the part of the night that continues to touch my heart is the crowning ceremony. Getting to see my students feel God’s presence and love as they feel the crowns placed on their heads is just something I can barely begin to describe, so here’s a picture that can honestly say a thousand words.

My student, Stephen, upon receiving his crown.

During the crowning, they had a very special moment where the pastor was telling everyone how much Jesus loves them, and how Jesus loved everyone so much that He died on the cross to save all of us. I wish I could have gotten a video of this, but I was honestly just so caught up in the moment.

Overall, volunteering for Night to Shine is something I would recommend to everyone. It’s not only an amazing way to connect with people with disabilities in your local community, but it’s also a great way to practice discipleship.

Will you let your light shine next year by volunteering for Night to Shine at your local church?