Love from Christie.
Though we’ve never met in person, Christie has become a great encouragement to me through Facebook and by sharing photos on Flickr. She’s an incredible mom and woman with amazing wisdom and insight - after sensing I was going through some personal things, struggling with patience and getting irritated with the “When God, when?!” she sent this email just in time.
“If I’m right about that then I’m here to say I know how you feel… Hopefully, peacefully, impatiently heartbroken.
And it can be tiring to remind ourselves of God’s perfect plan. ESPECIALLY, because it can suck to be alone (even if you have a ton of friends). It can be challenging to want His will for your life and act on it at the same time.
The devil loves to tell us that it’s not going to work out. That we shouldn’t even get our hopes up. That we should be grateful for what we have and that its selfish to want more…
The devil HATES it when we remember truths like Jer 29:11 that tells us that God wants to give us a future and hope. The devil HATES it when we count on God to meet our needs for security, love, and joy. The devil WANTS us to seek those things from our circumstances and other people so we’re ultimately let down and discouraged. The devil WANTS you to forget that our God is before all things and that in Him, He holds ALL things together (Col 1:17)
And when you’re worn out and tired and discouraged the devil does NOT want you to remember that our God renews our strength, guiding us along the right paths in order to bring honor to HIS name (Psalm 23:3) (How lucky are we to be used by God to bring HIM glory! wow!)
God knows you long to obey his commandments and that you want your life renewed with HIS goodness (Psalm 119:40)
He knows your heart, your desires, your dreams and that ultimately you want your heart, desires, and dreams to be His!
He’s got this Liz! He’s all over it! He’s carrying you! He’s loving you with His undeserving grace-filled love!
So my virtual friend - when you find yourself feeling impatient, when you’re tempted to not hope, do not fret or have anxiety about anything but in EVERY circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God (Phil 4:6)
He has never left you. He will never forsake you.
And KNOW that the theif comes only to steal and kill and destroy but our God came so that we can have life, and have it abundantly! (John 10:10)
I’ve learned that my abundant life has only come by knowing the TRUTH of who I am through Christ and who God says He is. When I meditate on the truth, I am FREE from the burdens and discouragement I’m tempted to indulge.
So seek Him girl! Seek Him like you’ve never sought before and your eyes will be opened to so much! And a peace that makes no sense will be all yours!”
