The Visit

The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

The following story is not real in the least, but lives within the imagination of the writer and most likely many of her readers.

I visited her today. “Who?” you ask.

Myself. I wanted to tell her things I’ve learned along the way.

I saw her at 12, standing in front of her bedroom mirror. A shy smile peeked through as she gazed at her reflection.

Twirling around, she frowned, no longer loving what she saw.

I wanted to whisper, “You’re so beautiful and strong. Rise above this world and keep your precious eyes focused on Jesus.”

I saw her at 21. Married and expecting her first baby as she wrapped up her college degree.

She glowed, yet seemed impatient at not looking pregnant then weeks later was completely miserable at looking way too pregnant.

I wanted to whisper, “You’re so beautiful and strong. This too shall past while you keep your precious eyes focused on Jesus.”

I saw her at 29, surrounded by her four little children all clamoring for guidance and attention.

She smiled at each one, wishing for just one moment of quiet.

I wanted to jump into the room, kissing each of the four soft cheeks one more time.

And to her, I wanted to whisper, “You’re so beautiful and strong. Embrace this time as they will grow so fast. And keep your precious eyes focused on Jesus.”

I saw her at 40, surrounded by her precious family. Facing so many difficulties, she looked worried and sad.

I wanted to give her a big hug, telling her to hang on. That life will become so good again. I promise.

I wanted to whisper, “You’re so beautiful and strong. Keep your precious eyes focused on Jesus while He wipes every tear and leads you exactly where you should go.”

I saw her in her 80’s. She was standing next to her family, smiling at the crowd surrounding her.

I wanted to whisper, “You’re so beautiful and strong. You did it. Keep your beautiful eyes focused on Jesus while your godly legacy continues to point others to God.”

Sigh. Wouldn’t it be incredible to visit ourselves? To remind our younger selves with what’s important? To stand on the sidelines cheering us on? To see us near the end of our life, knowing we did good? Knowing we stayed true to God?

Thinking about ourselves, it’s not always easy, as we walk where God leads us. Not easy to remember what’s important in the moments of our life.

But God is with us each step of the way. While we cannot go back in time, or jump forward for that matter, we can remember what we wished we knew and carry ourselves forward as if we did.

Let us live first within our identity as God’s precious child and focus our beautiful eyes only on Jesus, our Savior and dearest Friend.

My blog’s address will be updated soon. Everything will be forwarded and I’ll let you know when the new site is live!

Beautiful Life

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

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God is waiting to walk you into your beautiful life.

 Already there?

 That’s awesome.

Truly a gift.

Some of us aren’t.

 We want to, but we can’t.

 Why?

Because we are holding onto remnants of the past.

 Ashes.

 Broken pieces we cannot seem to drop.

 These burdens from the past beg us to cling to our old ways of thinking, of acting.

 We cling because they are familiar.

 Painful, but familiar.

 Why is that comforting?

Because it’s the known vs the unknown.

Do you trust me?

God is asking that of us this day.

 Do you really trust me?

Because if you do, you’ll give Him those ashes.

 The deepest darkest places in your heart.

 You’ll grab every last drop of darkness and pour it out into God’s open hands.

 He wants your sadness.

 He wants your burdens.

 He wants your cares.

But do you trust Him?

Does He really have your back?

Has He planned the best for your future?

Yes.

Don’t believe me?

That’s ok.

 Look to your details- your blessings in your life.

 God is there, was there, and is here yet today.

 Oh, and He’s in your future.

 Whether it’s job loss, broken relationships, yearnings of your heart, recovery from surgery or anything else, God is waiting to take the worry from you.

 He can see far beyond your vision.

 Place it all into His hands.

 Lean back, and trust Him.

 And allow your precious smile to brighten your stunning face.

Welcome to your beautiful life.

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Photos by Victoriano Izquierdo & Peter Hershey on Unsplash