Can God Use a Disco Ball?
When was the last time you bought a disco ball? Maybe it’s been a few decades. Maybe it was in a roller skating rink, or you dug one up in the garage for the solar eclipse. For me, I went to the store and bought a disco ball last year.
Let me explain.
I was a leader at a middle school youth retreat a few weeks ago. During one of the sessions, the worship leader explained the word “ebenezer” before singing a song that had the word in it. I realized in that moment that I (a non-middle schooler) did not know before that moment what an ebenezer was, although I had sung about it many times before in “Come Thou Fount” and Chris Renzema’s “Just as Good.”
Ebeneezer (n.) – a commemoration of divine assistance
He explained to us that an ebenezer was a tangible thing that reminds God’s people of His faithfulness. It’s a term from 1 Samuel 7:12: “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the Lord has helped us.’” Immediately, my mind was drawn to a disco ball planter on my classroom bookshelf
A Classroom with a Window
My husband and I moved this summer to be closer to family, and in the process of getting new jobs, one of my biggest and most heartfelt prayers was for a classroom with a window. That may sound silly and inconsequential even, but it was not to me.
Every classroom I had taught in until that point had somewhere between one and six windows. I love being able to see the sun and sky during a school day. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone; that life was still happening even if the day inside my classroom was long and dark and hard.
I’ve had many teacher friends who haven’t had the luxury of a window, and I just didn’t think I could do without. So, I began to pray specifically for a classroom with a window. People will tell you to be specific in your prayers, and so I was. I prayed hard and often that God would grant me this request.
I was inspired by Annie F. Downs. Pretty consistently in 2023, Annie would show on her Insta-story a little disco ball at golden hour, radiating light throughout her office. She affectionately called it “disco ball-o’clock.” In my effort to trust that God heard me, I bought a little disco ball planter to redirect the sun that I just knew would be shining through my classroom window. A “disco ball-o’clock” of my own, if you will.
The first day in my new school, my admin walked me around and showed me three choices of classrooms I could choose, and wouldn’t you know it? Not one of those rooms had a window. I was so sure this prayer would be answered that I even mentioned it to my boss: “Do there happen to be any classrooms available with windows?” No dice.
My Ebenezer: A Disco Ball
I moved my things into my classroom later that day, and I set out my disco ball planter—completely useless in a fluorescent-lit room void of the sun. Or so I thought.
Every time over the past ten months that I have looked at the disco ball on my bookshelf in that room, I have thought of the Lord. This ebenezer points to where my help comes from.
I have thought of how, although He did not provide me a window, He did provide me a friend across the hall that has encouraged me more than the sunshine and sky ever could. Although He did not provide me a window, He provided me a situation which could only draw me closer to Him and increase my daily dependence on a God who hears and cares. Although He did not provide me a window, He has provided me with clarity and movement in an area of life which had become blurry and stale. My ebenezer, this stone set up on my path, has pointed me to God.
“Til now, the Lord has helped me.”
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(Photo by Rachel Moore/Unsplash)
Life may not always go as planned, but God is always faithful. Placing your trust in him enables you to approach every season in life with a more balanced, positive outlook. Listen to this podcast episode for more ways optimism can serve you: What Does Optimism Bring to a Woman’s Life? – 184
