Listening For Heaven’s Applause

I’ve never won anything. No ribbons at my school sports day. No shiny plaques for academic excellence. No glowing titles like “Most Talented” or “Best in Class.” For most of my life, I’ve lived in the quiet lane, doing what needed to be done, and rarely stopping to wonder if it was “special” enough to be noticed. I didn’t grow up thinking I had any standout gifts. God didn’t give me the kind of talents that took stages or stole spotlights. I didn’t win debate contests or receive standing ovations. What I had was subtle. I enjoyed organising things. I liked tidying up chaos, making sense of messy spaces and systems. I led quietly, served steadily, and even when I cut up my own clothes to sew tiny outfits for my sister’s dolls, I wasn’t sure that counted for anything. My mother certainly didn’t think so. I doodled and coloured in books. I danced and acted in youth group performances. But we all did that. At home, I baked and cooked, but every woman in my family did. So, I concluded it wasn’t talent, just life.

Now, here I am, just shy of 35, and I’ve been nominated for an award… for my writing. A real award. Shadow Ground is a finalist in the Motivational and Inspirational Book category at the COPPA Book Awards, and I genuinely don’t know how to process it. I’m proud of my work and I’m beyond grateful, but honestly, the recognition has brought more to the surface than I expected. It’s stirred things in me I didn’t even know were hiding. It’s pushed me into moments of reflection in God’s presence about hard work and the reward for it. What the Holy Spirit has revealed in this time has been sobering.

For starters… Am I the only one who subconsciously believes that the best recognition of our hard work is monetary? I mean, if we work hard in our business, it should affect our bottom line, right? If we put in the hours at our job, we should see it reflected in the security of our position, a promotion or a pay increase, shouldn’t we? If I pour my soul into my book and publish with excellence, shouldn’t it translate into sold books?

I’ve been struggling with this more than I care to admit. You see, every time God says “Jump,” Ceaser and I do. No hesitation. No plan B. Just obedience. But in the everyday moments, when I walk into our home office and see those stacks of book boxes, I wrestle. Especially when the math isn’t mathing, even though we took every precaution not to go overboard.

Now, in just six short weeks, I’ll be attending the third annual COPPA Book Awards, where Shadow Ground is being recognised. You’d think I’d be over the moon. I am grateful. Deeply. But excited? I don’t know. Excitement has always been a rare emotion for me; only VBS week, back in my head of children’s ministry days, and discovering I was pregnant have ever made me so thrilled I couldn’t sleep. But this? This feels different. Not because I don’t care, but because so much else has been going on in and around me.

This nomination feels like a God wink, reminding me that He sees me… He sees us. It’s a moment for my team to be celebrated, and I’m so proud of the excellence they’ve poured into this project. But here’s the real, raw, and honest truth: I keep asking God where the money will come from, for the trip to Kitwe, for accommodation, and all the award ceremony entails. God, in His tenderness, has used this process to reveal the wrestle of my heart, and I’m actively submitting it to Him. And while I do, He keeps saying: “Stop worrying. Just shine.”

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. ~ Daniel 12:3 (ESV)

As I’ve continued to process my feelings, feelings that have caught me off guard, and even process the disappointment of certain doors I was so sure would open, only to find them shut in my face, God keeps making something explicitly clear: He has His own award show. The Holy Spirit has steadily reminded me that He is a God of seasons and that He marks our sacrifices, our obedience, and our steps, even the ones that seem unnoticed. There’s a time for His rewards, and while many will indeed come on the other side of eternity, some come now. Some are for this moment, for this generation, and yes, for you.

But here’s the thing: there are things that man applauds, and there are things that Heaven applauds. And while we may not always hear the roar of the crowd or feel the rush of validation, we must train our spirits to recognise the thunderous standing ovation of Heaven… the wild and glorious cheering of a proud Father who sees it all. He may whisper specific things that He is giving you a standing ovation for, but if you’re not sure where to start, here are three things you can be certain always make Heaven’s list:

Heaven Sees Your Wisdom

In a world drowning in information, we’ve made the mistake of thinking that access to knowledge is the same thing as wisdom. It isn’t. Even a fool can Google something. Even a dishonest heart can gain followers by regurgitating facts. But wisdom? That’s different. Wisdom is a heart posture. It’s discernment. It’s knowing when to speak, when to be silent, when to wait, when to step out, and how to steward both the seen and unseen parts of your life. Heaven sees that. It sees the decisions you made that others mocked, but God honoured. It sees the relationships you walked away from, not out of arrogance, but out of obedience. It sees the prayers you prayed in rooms no one else entered. The daily commitment to grow. To forgive. To try again. In God’s kingdom, wisdom shines brighter than most, and it is always worth more than man’s applause.

Heaven Sees Your Sacrifice

Every time I’ve sat down to write when I didn’t feel like it… Every time I’ve shared something vulnerable because God said to… Every time Ceaser and I said yes to God’s call, even when it emptied our pockets and cost us our comfort… Heaven kept score. I don’t say that in a transactional way, but in a truthful way. We forget sometimes that our obedience echoes in eternity. I know I have. I’ve looked at unsold boxes of my book and felt like a failure. I’ve stared at spreadsheets that didn’t add up and felt like giving up. But the problem isn’t the hustle. The problem is that we’ve allowed money to define success. In our culture, where visibility and going viral reign supreme, we start to believe that if something doesn’t generate income, it doesn’t have value. And that’s a lie. It’s a lie that numbs our spiritual sensitivity, making us deaf to the sound of heaven’s applause.

God has been reminding me that sacrifice isn’t always about laying something down publicly. It’s about choosing Him again and again in the small, invisible spaces. Obedience is the light. Sacrifice is the shine. And that shine doesn’t come from awards or followers, it comes from overcoming battles that were designed to break us and staying aligned with His voice through it all. If the world only celebrates what’s visible, it’s because it doesn’t see what heaven sees. Because heaven? Heaven cheers for the battles you won in secret, though they cost you everything.

Heaven Sees Your Pursuit of Him

Let’s be honest, we live in a time where people will do anything for likes. We’ve traded authenticity for aesthetics, making influence the goal and intimacy with God a side hobby. What I’ve come to realise is that pursuit changes you. The more you run after Him, the more you reflect Him. That’s the only kind of pursuit that brings true transformation. Not scrambling for approval, but lingering in His Word, crying in worship and journaling prayers no one will ever read but God. That kind of pursuit makes us shine in ways the world can’t measure. It’s tempting to want to dazzle people. To want them to say “Wow!” But what if we were more concerned with heaven’s “Well done”? What if our lives were about carrying His presence into rooms, rather than curating the perfect online persona? What God has been whispering to me, and maybe to you too, is this:

“Don’t abort the opportunity to carry My presence into spaces I’ve opened for you, just because you’re craving applause. Let the applause come as a by-product of your obedience, not the motivation for it.”

Let your shine be sacred.

Because of a few likes… Because of one award… Because of someone else’s highlight reel on Instagram… We forget. We forget how precious we are. We forget that Heaven already celebrates us. So, this is our reminder not to grow weary in doing good. The sacrifices you’ve made to stay aligned with God’s will are not in vain. They are seeds, and in due season, they will yield a harvest. Don’t let someone else’s definition of shine cause you to doubt your own. Don’t envy a spotlight you weren’t called to stand in. And please, don’t abandon your calling because it doesn’t come with a crowd. God is in your corner, and He’s not quietly clapping. He’s on His feet, beaming and cheering wildly, not because of what you do but because of who you are… His.

So, shine, beloved. Shine with wisdom. Shine through sacrifice. Shine because you’re chasing Him. And know this: Heaven is watching and applauding.

Sum-It-Up Soundtrack

Weatherman by Victory Boyd