SIDE NOTE: I would like to share, I am prayerful over the one who gifted me this book, as they had no idea the impact it would have on my heart. Blessed I am to have someone who has no idea of my "life story" who gifted me a book of healing. My heart is overwhelmed with gratefulness.
It's been a not so good, rather ugly, heart testing, faith leaning, God grabbin' kinda week. It began Monday. So, as I felt myself wearing down ~ I have been picking up the book here and there as time allows. Yesterday God put that book in my hand, opened it and lead my heart.
My broken in pieces for more than a countable amount of reasons heart. I share this not for sympathy or tears, I share this with JOY as God took the pieces laid them out and in His words explained to me clearly a few things I needed to stop and understand. GOD IS GOOD. ALL THE TIME~
1. what other people say about me, isn't my business and doesn't matter. What matters is what my life says about God.
2. when someone who is suppose to be your protector neglects to lift and honor you, let it go. The one who truly protects me, is the Lord I honor. I have nothing to fear for He goes before me in all circumstances. In word battles, in armor battles - Jesus is my protector.
3. when someone leaves you, you are not left alone. God is there for you always, no matter how alone you feel, He is right there & He is holding you tight. He will never leave or forsake you.
4.I was not blessed with a long term relationship with my biological father (he died when I was 5). However I am blessed for lifetime and eternity in sharing a relationship with my Heavenly Father.
5. I can not determine the way people show love to one another. I can only determine in my own heart how I will show love to others. God is showing me just because someone doesn't return the love, doesn't mean they don't receive the love. Thank you Jesus for that insight!
6.there is far more to being a mother than giving birth. And when a mother turns from a child there is more to the story than simply the child. Thank you Jesus for wanting me before I was even formed in my mother's womb.
7. when someone shuts you out, God opens doors and asks you to come in.
8.God does not bring heart break and hiccups into life to "teach us a lesson". God allows such things into our lives to bring healing lessons for which we may share with others the power in having a Father who loves us unconditionally.
9. Just because I don't see the path yet, doesn't mean God isn't leading me down it. Sometimes I feel like God is taking me down a long path and the flashlight is out and it seems to go on forever. It is in times like these when I must remember HE IS LEADING and I simply need to hold onto Him and follow and know when we arrive, it will be when He has planned for me to see what is there.
10. God chose me. He has a purpose for me. There has been nothing in my life that has taken place good, bad or otherwise for which He isn't working it all out for His purpose.
I have felt Satan's smile as though he has had a victory over me as I have felt unloved. Very unqualified. Very uncertain. Very unsure. Very flawed. Very much falling short. Some of this due to recent events, many due to past hurts which still open from time to time as they have yet to completely heal.
Satan isn't smiling, may smirk. My God smiles and he opens His word and shares with me this:
"12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV)
Thank You Jesus, my Heavenly Father, who knows my heart, my hiccups and my hurts and loves me even more. Thank you Jesus for the blessing of a friend who sends a book, unknowingly aware of how close to home they have come. Thank You Jesus for a heart which knows I am enough, because You made me in your image, in my mother's womb before I was ever a though. You have had my life planned, mapped out and prepared since before I was born. Thank you Jesus for preparing me for what You have prepared for me.
I pray this morning I pray over each and every one of you who read this, that your week be blessed and your hearts touched and you touch others in sharing THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.