Becoming Free: Love Letter

The other day a friend walked into the office with these flowers. I could barely believe it when she said they were for me! It was October 24, not my birthday or any special event to celebrate. We actually don't know each other very well, but she said the Lord clearly told her to do this. She even confessed that she wasn't feeling well and had to make a significant effort to bring them to me.

I obviously received them with great joy, the picture does not do justice to the beauty of this arrangement. The colors, the detail, the texture. I walked her out to her car (to get the brownies she also made for me!) I shared some of my story and how God was using this to encourage me. I was still a little baffled why God would ask her to do this for me. There are so many others that have a deeper need for the encouragement. I decided to spend some time the next morning and ask God what He was showing me through this gift.

Isn't this the sweetest?

Well, the next morning was October 25. My dad's birthday. My parents have passed and I have grieved the loss. A while ago, I found a folded up note that my dad wrote to me. I decided to pull it out and read it once again.  I can't remember when he gave it to me, but I am so glad I saved it.

Because of my daughters 

I have a lot to crow about! 

Dad 1:1

To my daughter Nancy

Just because

Love Dad

As I began to seek God and ask Him what He was showing me, He directed me to the song,  Nobody Loves Me Like You by Chris Tomlin. (Morning, I see You in the sunrise every morning. It's like a picture that You've painted for me. A love letter in the sky. Story, I could've had a really different story, but You came down from Heaven to restore me. Forever saved my life. Nobody loves me like You love me Jesus....)

As I pondered the bouquet, read this note from my dad, and listened to this song, the tears began to flow. I felt an overwhelming sense of God's great love for me, His never-ending faithfulness to care for me, and His remarkable provision in my life.

I realized in the last few weeks, I had slipped into looking at my circumstances first and not my God. I started down the road of comparing my life with others (warning: DON'T GO THERE!) My circumstances may not be ideal (really whose are?), but I truly believe I am right where God wants me.

My word for the year has been freedom, my heart longs to be fully free. I want to look back at this year and see how God has walked me down this road of freedom. These flowers reminded me of the full freedom I have in receiving God's love for me. He reminded me that no matter my circumstances, I am fully loved...it was like those flowers should have had a letter signed by God, just like my dad's letter. "To my daughter Nancy, just because, love God." That is FREEDOM! Living like and knowing that our Father loves us, not because of our abilities, or accomplishments, or accolades from others. Just because we are His. So simple and so powerful.

Extravagant love from a good, good Father. His reminders are all around us if we'll just look: a bouquet from a friend, the sunrise, the changing colors of fall, the majesty of the mountains, friendships, family, music, His Word (the ultimate love letter). Will you pause to look around and enjoy His love for you? Then walk in that freedom today!

Happy Birthday to my earthly father and thank you to my Heavenly Father for such a sweet reminder of your great love for me. For you were called to freedom sisters... Galatians 5:13  Rejoicing in our freedom!

I couldn't pick one favorite photo of my dad...so here are some of my favorites~

What We Cannot See

The New Year is a time of reflection for me. I reflect back over the previous year and can see a little more clearly how things fell into place. My perspective on this side of my circumstances gives clarity. And quite frankly I can declare that 2017 is the past, not the present. Whether it was good or bad, it is over.

And now I ponder the New Year. Our pastor challenges us each year to set goals. I dug my feet in for a few years and finally submitted to the idea and gave it a try. I still am learning, but God has done some very cool things as I commit each year to Him and all that He has for me. Maybe I'll share those another day.

Right now, I want to share some wisdom a friend gave me yesterday. I shared with her that I had spent some lengthy time asking God for a verse for this year. The first two mornings of 2018 I woke early to spend time with the Lord. The first morning as I gazed out the window, there was a thick fog. I could only see maybe 50 feet out. The rest was pure white. There was no telling what was beyond. I felt like that was how this new year looked for me. I just don't know what is in store. Will it be joy? Sadness? Trials or Triumphs?

The next morning I again woke early, but even earlier. It was still pitch black, nothing at all was in sight. I turned on the porch light so I could see a few feet out, but beyond that, nothing was visible.

As I searched the scriptures, the Lord finally showed me the verse for the year. I realized that I still cling to fear at times. That I am not totally living free, though I long to. How is it possible to live free? I think the Lord is showing me that to live free, is to live by faith. Faith in the One that gave Himself up for me...

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me."    ~ Galatians 2:20

After I shared this process and verse with my friend she told me a story. She had been at Cannon Beach on a very foggy morning. Now if you don't know, Cannon Beach is famous for Haystack Rock. Here is a fun picture I took this summer. I don't know if you can tell, but that rock is HUGE.

In fact I just looked it up, it is 235 feet tall. Back to the story...my friend walked to the beach that foggy morning and took a picture of Haystack Rock. However, all that she could see was fog, it was that thick. She took the picture though because she knew Haystack Rock was in the fog, though not visible at all. She wanted to be reminded of a truth she realized. Even though she could not see what was beyond the fog, she knew what was there. Just like those two mornings I experienced, the fog and the darkness. We cannot see what is ahead, what is in front of us, but we do know Jesus is there.

This year is unknown to us. Sure we may have some plans in the works, but there is so much we do not know yet. We can speculate and worry about all that could happen, or we can fix our gaze on Jesus and ask Him to lead us through. We are equipped, armed, encouraged by all of the truth that is in God's Word for us. We know that the Lord will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). He will accomplish what concerns us (Psalm 138:8). He is our Portion, our Deliverer, our Redeemer, our Strength, our Hope, our Joy, our Healer, our good, good Father.  Do you see clearly now?

Am I asking us to put on happy faces and pretend life doesn't hurt? Absolutely not. That is living fake, not by faith. What I am asking is that when that "bad news" comes to us and life looks foggy or dark, that we choose to believe that God goes before us. That He sees beyond our circumstances and that He will walk closely with us through it all.

I don't know what this year has for you, for some of you, some big changes are coming that are overwhelming. You just can't see what is ahead and that may cause fear to well up. Can I ask you to join me in living by faith and not fear this year? While there is much we do not know, there is even more that we do know in Christ. This is the life I long to live, by faith in the Son of God who loves me.