There once was a girl who misunderstood who God is. A girl who felt constrained by the rules she perceived he had as a condition of his love. A girl who tried to drink away her sorrows only to find herself drowning in the lie that sin was freedom and righteousness was restrictive.
That girl; me.
I share this with you, transparently, to give encouragement and hope for those of you who are beginning the journey with God. You may be so close to the “before God” version of you that you struggle to see beyond it.
So did I.
You see, as the girl in the photo on the left I could not see myself as the girl in the photo on the right.
Once I returned as the prodigal, I struggled to believe God could use me. I thought my opportunity had passed me by. Every time he would call me deeper, I would feel the overwhelming shadow of the girl I once was stand in the way. I heard the voice of the enemy plant his seeds of doubt and disbelief loud enough that it drowned out the still small voice of a loving God who said, my daughter, trust me.
But, God.
You see, even as the girl on the left, he saw me as the girl on the right. Always. He never struggled to see her. Truth is, he saw me as more than the girl on the right. Patiently, gently, and gracefully he worked to help me see her too. I stand in awe of his workmanship as he reminds me that we have only just begun.
The beauty of the Gospel is this, while in sin, Jesus Christ stretched his arms across Calvary and took our place. So, we, as prodigals, can come home to him. Contrary to popular opinion, he did not die to merely save us.
When we will yield our heart to him, he moves in miraculous, unbelievable, seemingly impossible ways to give beauty for ashes.
Sisters, he is so much more than your Savior. As your King, your part, is simply, to say yes. Yes, God I desire you more than anything this world has to offer. Yes, God I will seek you first. Yes, God I will worship you in obedience. Yes. God. Yes.
Today, say yes, let God plant the seed of revival in your heart and then let him go to work transforming, restoring, reviving, and renewing you.
The book in the middle is the short story I wrote to share a piece of my testimony for the glory of God. He has been nothing but good to me. Better than I deserve. His love is incomprehensible. When I have been faithless he has been faithful. He is faithful in ways that you and I cannot comprehend. It is radical love.
Let 2024 be the year for a new you IN Christ. Let Jesus author your story while you stand in awe of his mercy extended through grace. ❤️
How Precious Are Your Thoughts About Me Psalm 139:17
