The Spotlight and the Real Reality

Real Reality & Radiant Light: She leaned in with a soft laugh and said, “The quietness isn’t because we don’t know what to say… it’s because the spotlight is on you. The Lord says He’s letting you stand in it. Relax in the spotlight. Get used to the spotlight.” That moment, that sentence was just a sliver of what God spoke over me that January night. A small but powerful piece of a prophetic word that is still unfolding to this day.

Fast forward just a few days February 5, 2020. A Monday. A manic Monday. My emotions were swirling out of control. The kind of swirl where you can’t tell which way is up and nothing seems to quiet the ache inside. I was grieving not just the loss of a marriage, but the loss of the life I thought I had. The man I was once married to was no longer the man in front of me. Everything was uncertain. My future? A total blank canvas… with no paint. I didn’t know how I was going to make ends meet. I didn’t know what work would look like, how I’d provide for my boys, how I’d pay taxes, bills, insurance anything. I often say I was a “kept woman—kept in the dark.” For years, I had no clue how bad things really were. But divorce brought everything into the light. And what I saw scared me.

That Monday, I hit a wall emotionally. I was exhausted. And I did something I never do I took a nap. I was watching my grandsons, and after laying them down, I laid myself down too. The moment my eyes closed, I saw this picture. I saw these big words. Like they were typed on a computer screen, but HUGE. Bold. Clear. Oversized like heaven was trying to get my attention. It wasn’t just any words… It was the entire prophetic word from a few nights earlier. The spotlight. The call. The promise.

And I asked, “God… what is this? What are You showing me?” And He whispered, “I’m making My words BIG in you. They will be your reality. They’re more real than the truth you’re living in.” And of course, I said, “Cool, Lord. Love that. But how is this going to pay my bills?” I felt Him smile. And the next thing I knew, I was waking up from the deepest, most peaceful rest I’d had in years. That nap wasn’t just a break it was a branding. His words marked my heart.

Big Words. Big Reality. Bigger Truth: Let’s start with what He said:

“I’m making My words BIG in you. They will be your reality. They’re more real than the truth you’re living in.”

That’s when the revelation hit me: Truth and reality aren’t always the same thing.

John 8:32 says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” But the original Greek word used for truth actually means: REALITY.

That’s a game-changer. You have your truth. They have their truth. But only Jesus has the real reality. Only He knows what truly happened.
Only He knows the full story. And only He can change your reality. So it reads like this:

“If you embrace His reality, His reality will release you into real freedom.”

That prophetic word? It was a kaleidoscope turn. Yes, the truth was I was in the middle of a brutal divorce. But the real reality was: My life is beautiful.

Truth Says… /Reality Says…:

• Truth says I was abused.
  Reality says I am healed and held.

• Truth says I was abandoned.
  Reality says I was never alone.

• Truth says I was kept in the dark.
  Reality says God was shining a light in me the whole time.

Every detail of my story is true. I lived it. I felt it. But God’s reality is that I don’t have to stay there. His reality is that I’m free. His reality is overflowing. Abundant. Beyond what I could dream or even imagine. I want that reality. I want His perspective. I want Him to turn the kaleidoscope of my heart and show me my life His way.

The Spotlight & The Highlighter: As I laid in bed, still soaking in that nap vision and God’s words, I heard Him say again:

“Come alongside My people, and I’ll come alongside you.
Take care of My people, and I’ll take care of you.”

So I dug into it. I let myself explore. And wouldn’t you know He led me to a blog called “The 11’s”.

It quoted 2 Corinthians 1:3–5 (MSG):

“God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else so we can be there for them just as He was there for us.”

Jaw Dropping Moment God, etch that into my identity. Let that be who I am. I still don’t fully know what the “spotlight” means.
It’s unfolding. But I believe it’s attached to my purpose: To come alongside the broken, the bound, the abused, the captive, and the forgotten. It’s not just about being seen. It’s about highlighting others. I’ve discovered that I’m kind of like a highlighter… When my world collides with yours, something gets illuminated. The God in me shines on the God in you and suddenly, something beautiful breaks through. Every single day, I watch the spotlight find people. And I get to witness their awakening that holy glimpse of the invisible story God is writing in their lives.

Maybe That’s What This Is For You: Maybe, just maybe, as you’re reading this, you’re catching a little flash of light. A shimmer. A sparkle. A diamond in the dark. And my prayer is this: That the spotlight of His reality will hit your heart like sunlight hits a diamond and suddenly… you’ll see the color, the clarity, and the beauty of what’s already growing inside of you.

This is what I live for. To highlight His beauty in your life. To come alongside you. To help you see what’s been there all along. Let the spotlight fall. You were born to shine.

With all my heart,
Rachel Xoxo!