Cara Shine
12 min read ⭑
“A desperate prayer in a hallway set off what I like to call the ‘holy ripple effect’ that changed everything for me, my family and even my Muslim neighbor. It’s a story that only God could orchestrate, and it lands me here today, in a Christian publication.”
In the fall of 2002, a series of sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C., area killed several people and filled millions more with fear. As an elementary school teacher at the time, Cara Shine was worried sick for her and her students’ safety. As a Jew facing questions and anxiety, Cara opened her heart to Jesus in the midst of the school hallway — and her life was never the same. She details her story in her new memoir, The Hallway Miracle, and shares how Jesus broke through walls of hurt and doubt to capture her heart.
In our conversation with Cara, she shares how small comforts like “real” pizza and reality TV point her toward God, how Jesus ministers to her in moments of anxiety and how “God winks” have transformed her perspective on life.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
Food is always about more than food; it’s also about home and people and love. So how does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
If you’ve ever seen pizza dough being tossed high into the air, flour spraying everywhere as a pizza-making artist stretches the crust within an inch of its life — well, you’ve just stepped into the strongest food memory of my childhood. The Flying Pizza shop was the place where my parents, two transplanted Jews from the Bronx, New York, could enjoy a little slice of home (pun intended) in the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio.
My parents found themselves in this strange new land called “Dayton” in 1973, after Dad was transferred to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, far away from the Jewish community they loved and devoid of any real pizza. They bought a modest home they could afford near the Air Force base, but it was 45 minutes away from the nearest synagogue, making us one of the only Jewish families in an otherwise very Christian community. When Dad stumbled across the Flying Pizza storefront in the back corner of a nondescript shopping center, it became the magical place my family could exhale and feel like we belonged.
Each Passover, my family abstained from eating anything with yeast for an entire week. This meant my brother and I would pack peanut butter and jelly on matzo crackers instead of Wonderbread for our lunches. Most of our classmates were curious about our strange foods, but others whispered antisemitic remarks that left lasting scars. But Flying Pizza was always there for us. It was the place where we would “break the fast” on Yom Kippur and then stuff our bellies full of yeasty, hand-tossed pizza at the end of Passover.
My family now lives in Northern Virginia, where there is plenty of real pizza, but I’ve never had a slice that filled my soul like Flying Pizza.
Nagara Oyodo; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
What “nonspiritual” activity have you found to be quite spiritual, after all? What quirky proclivity, out-of-the-way interest, or unexpected pursuit refreshes your soul?
Would it be strange to say that I find watching the reality show “Survivor” incredibly calming and maybe a bit spiritual? My husband and I are superfans and have watched every single episode. We actually claim it as the secret to our 30-year-long marriage. And while neither one of us wants to be on the actual island with Jeff Probst, living off coconuts and sleeping on a bamboo mattress, we are more than happy to watch from the comfort of our own couch. We find it oddly spiritual to watch humans simply being humans.
There’s just something inspiring about watching complete strangers leave behind everything they hold dear, work together to build shelter, find food, and, ultimately, form deep human connections. Watching people work together toward a common good gives me hope — even if they ultimately vote each other off and get their torches dramatically snuffed out.
We spend so much of our time isolated inside our homes and hidden behind screens. I think we often miss the human interactions that God intends for us to experience. The first time I opened the New Testament at the age of 32 and read the way Jesus routinely pulled away from large crowds to pray, be still and teach his disciples, it seemed like a blueprint for human connection to me. It gave me hope. I think none of us is meant to be on an island all alone.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
very superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you confront its power?
I recently bought a cordless Dyson vacuum with an oddly addictive green light indicator that illuminates the dirt and dust on my hardwood floors. With just the touch of a button, a wind turbine motor sucks up every speck of dirt and sends it into the filter, leaving my floors shiny and looking new again. Emptying that filter after vacuuming is incredibly fulfilling in a way I can’t describe. It calms the anxiety I’ve fought for years.
I’ve suffered from different versions of anxiety since I was a child. Maybe it’s linked to the antisemitic bullying I suffered as a child, or maybe it’s just the product of living in a fallen world. Either way, it’s been a battle I’ve fought off and on for years. But I’ve also come to appreciate the way it always draws me nearer to Jesus.
As a new believer, I remember reading the verses from James 1:2,3, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (ESV). I wrestled with that verse for years. Who wants trials of many kinds? Not me. I put all my energy into protecting everything I loved to avoid trials for years, but all that did was cause me more anxiety.
It took some very hard seasons for God to lovingly pry my clenched hands open, but now I see the wisdom of Paul’s words. These days, when I find myself face to face with a hard season, I know exactly where to run — directly into the arms of Jesus. Because, at the end of the day, only God can turn ashes into something beautiful, and he doesn’t need a Dyson vacuum to do it.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
Writing a book was never on my bucket list. In fact, I ran from the call to share what God had done in my life like a modern-day Jonah running from Nineveh. Telling my faith story of how a Jew like me met Jesus in an elementary school hallway during the D.C. sniper attacks of 2002 would mean being incredibly vulnerable — something I didn’t relish.
But God had other plans and sent signs, dreams and people into my life to throw open the doors that should have been closed to a first-time author like me. Exhibit A: an invitation to a written interview with Rapt. My book, “The Hallway Miracle,” is my humble offering to God and, I hope, an encouragement to all Christians to share Jesus lovingly.
Growing up as one of the only Jewish families in an otherwise Christian community exposed my brother and me to antisemitic bullying that kept me from understanding the true heart of Jesus for years. But during the Washington, D.C., sniper attacks, I found myself teaching in an elementary school full of wonderfully kind Christians who lovingly introduced me to Jesus Christ. A desperate prayer in a hallway set off what I like to call the “holy ripple effect” that changed everything for me, my family and even my Muslim neighbor. It’s a story that only God could orchestrate, and it lands me here today, in a Christian publication.
I pray that my story convicts us all to examine the way we represent Jesus, because it has a kingdom impact greater than we could ever know. Whenever we step outside of our homes, especially if we are wearing a cross around our necks, people are watching. What a wonderful opportunity it is to be followers of Jesus and to be the body of Christ. I hope my story is a reminder that, as his disciples, we should be sharing the Jesus who washes feet and loves our neighbors as ourselves.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Whether we’re cashiers or CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need God’s love flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
Jesus found me in an ordinary elementary school hallway because the Holy Spirit was welcomed in through the lives of the Christians who worked there. Now, I am keenly aware that the Holy Spirit has no boundaries. Whether I’m writing, speaking or just driving in my car, I’m seeking to be invigorated by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus can find us in a grocery store line, in a traffic jam, in our cubicles at work or on our knees by a loved one’s bedside. In fact, I’ve discovered that all we need to do is ask, seek and knock, and the Holy Spirit can invigorate even our darkest days.
This past Christmas Eve was one of those dark days for my family. In the middle of all the normal Christmas chaos, I got a frantic phone call from my mom. My 83-year-old father had fallen, and his injuries were severe. We all rushed to be by Dad’s side and spent Christmas Eve surrounded by the beeping sounds of blood pressure cuffs and stark white, fluorescent bulbs rather than the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.
But around 4 o’clock, my husband and I decided to step outside for a moment to gather ourselves. As we stood outside, the gray clouds that were typical in late December suddenly started to part. It surprised both of us, and we looked up to the sky. I’m not sure who gasped first, but we both saw it at the same time — a rainbow on Christmas Eve! The Holy Spirit filled our souls as we stood in the middle of that parking lot.
I hope we all seek to see Jesus in our lives, no matter where we are or what we are doing. God is too big to keep out of every aspect of our lives, and it’s a joy to find and be invigorated by him everywhere.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
Twenty-five years ago, after I first came to Christ and my faith felt like a river overflowing with blessing, someone very wise told me, “Cara Shine, record these moments so you never forget the goodness of God.” I’m so glad I did. I started a note on my iPhone where I have recorded “God winks” that made me feel blessed, encouraged or overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit (like a Christmas rainbow).
Today, that digital note is at least 30 pages long, filled with the evidence of God’s love. Whenever I need a reminder of the goodness of God, I simply open that note, and I’m reminded of how God has been walking with me for years. For instance, the song “Shine, Jesus, Shine” (my last name) was sung at the very first church service I ever attended, and a license plate on the car right in front of me had the name of a friend who had died hours before.
My wise friend was right — rereading the ways God has carried me in the past invigorates me to remain faithful and humble about what God has planned for my future. If God captures your heart in small or big ways today, write it down!
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and changed your heart?
As a Jew who had never read the New Testament before, reading the book of Matthew for the first time changed the course of my life. I suspect most people will say the same of the Bible. So without discounting the life-changing words of Jesus, the second most life-changing resource I encountered as a new Christian 25 years ago was the women of the first small group I reluctantly joined. As I read the words of Jesus, they helped me to make sense of it and showed me how to live faithfully. They showed me the real meaning of the verse, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). If you are a Christian and you haven’t connected with others to help you grow, hold you accountable and point you to Jesus, please consider it.
Another favorite resource of mine is the book “When God Winks: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life” by Squire D. Rushnell. It’s a bit like the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series, but it guides readers in examining God’s hand in every part of their lives. Rather than excuse profound moments as simply “coincidence,” this book encourages readers to consider the possibility that their lives are ordered by a God who works all things for their good. I’ve found that it’s a great entry point for anyone who is reluctant about faith or carries church hurt in their heart. After reading a few of the testimonies from the contributors of the book, even the hardest of hearts seem to soften. I call it a mustard seed book.
My third resource is my favorite devotional, “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. A trusted friend gave it to me the day I was baptized. I’ve reread it 25 times over the course of 25 years, and yet, I’m always surprised by how the words transform me each morning.
Certain things can be godsends, helping us survive, even thrive, in our fast-paced world. Does technology ever help you this way? Has an app ever boosted your spiritual growth? If so, how?
While it’s widely known, it’s still one I rely on heavily: The Bible Project. It remains my trusted resource for research, historical context and spiritual inspiration. The Bible Project has podcasts, classes, articles and videos that are accessible but also incredibly informative. I can’t recommend this app enough.
I get to work with high school and college-aged students who have grown up consuming digital content, which sometimes is a barrier to learning new material. The Bible Project recap videos appeal to them by masterfully summarizing every book of the Bible with a pace and imagery that simply work. Before we begin any new Bible study, we watch a recap video for historical context, authorship and a summary that makes the Scriptures come to life for them and for people of all ages.
QUESTION #8: dream
God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
“Seek first his kingdom” was the theme that followed me for two years as I wrote my book. It didn’t fail me then, so I’m going to continue putting that into practice as I discern what might come next.
I’ve had several people encourage me to write another book, but I don’t think of myself as a writer. In my head, I’m simply a teacher who also loves to talk — a lot. I love connecting with people, getting out from behind the keyboard and hearing stories of how God moves in all our lives. I just hope there will be opportunities to speak, encourage and share the grace I’ve been given by Jesus.
For now, I’m focused on the high school Bible study I get to lead on Tuesday mornings. We have about 50 kids who wake up before school and join us to learn about Jesus. It is the best part of my week, hands down.
Perhaps there will be a Bible study to accompany “The Hallway Miracle,” or maybe the 25 years’ worth of God winks that I’ve kept on my phone will become a book. I’m going to continue to seek first his kingdom and trust that God’s timing for my next step is perfect.
Cara is right — the way we represent Jesus matters more than we could ever know. “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us,” Paul wrote, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20, ESV).
Ambassadors in ancient Roman times were sent to other countries to represent their homeland. Their job was to negotiate treaties, forge alliances and make official declarations of war or peace.
As ambassadors for Jesus, our mission has far greater implications than any international treaty. Our message is that Jesus’ death and resurrection have made peace with God not just attainable — but free.
How can we declare God’s peace this week? Who can we love? Who can we forgive? Let’s start there.
Cara Shine is a retired, award-winning elementary school teacher with a passion for encouragement, anxiety management and “bridge building” between the Old and New Testaments through her Jewish background. When she isn’t busy with her work as a Bible study teacher and ministry coordinator, Cara and her husband, Jeff, enjoy trying to beat their daughter, Emma, and her husband, Matthew, at pickleball. They rarely succeed, but darned if they don’t keep trying! Her faith story, The Hallway Miracle, will reignite your compassion for those around you and remind you that even in the darkest hours, God can turn ashes into something beautiful.