After briefly talking with a friend the other day, the conversation continued to turn over in my mind, as I mulled over and explored our exchange. He had admitted that he hesitates to share his faith because he doesn’t feel qualified. I can definitely connect with that same struggle.
Hey, sweet woman, how’s it going? There are so many twists and turns in the plot line of life that I wanted to encourage you. God has you covered, dear one. I was praying for you this morning and thought I’d remind you of God’s devoted love for you. Not just any love or a love but THE love that has no rival and no equal and that reigns supreme in every circumstance and emotion.
I’m so excited! It’s a self-care day! Silence any interruptions, posture (soften/humble) your heart to receive, and give your focus to love. I’m going to be brief and to the point because I want you to spend the majority of your time in relaxed meditation on who God is and how much He loves you.
I just finished reading Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken, a true love story about Sheldon and his wife, Davy (aka Jean). The story is told by Sheldon himself and includes letters (discussions) with CS Lewis as they process faith, love, and death.
It’s 3am, and my house is dark, yet peaceful. On her doggie bed in the corner of my bedroom, my chunky adopted pound pup snores rhythmically. The bedside fan hums. All is quiet … except for my mind. Conversations run back and forth in it.
Sweet woman, this week I’m thinking of you and how your responsibilities and obligations may have you running from here to there, jumping through hoops that are constantly changing. I know any given day can be hectic, demanding and, at times, overwhelming—especially when there are attached expectations. Instead of being saturated in stress, let me share one of my ways of releasing anxiety: be saturated in the presence of God.
The one and only tattoo I have says, “His Beloved.” It’s on my right forearm so I can see it when I write/type. I want to be reminded that I share my heart with women who are the beloved of God. It reminds me to pull down the barriers and be real, so we might be joined together and share the burden of this world and the love and joy that God offers us in the midst of it.
At the time of writing these words, the world collectively holds its breath as an ominous virus threatens our daily routines. The media hype ensures that panic sends everyone into a hoarding mode, businesses are taking a hit be it financial, loss of employees or the complete loss of their business. And then there’s the stock market dive. We need a good virus to overtake the current one.
Everything about life finds its strength rooted in rest. That sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Initially, that’s what it sounded like to me. As usual, God’s value system is completely different from ours. Life pulls us all over the place with responsibilities and things we’ve obligated ourselves to. People count on us, so we need to show up in many areas and in a variety of ways.
