This is a letter that is basically advice from who I hope to be in the future to the person I am now. Enjoy!
Sweet
Girl,
I
want to first start by telling you I know you will get through this. When
things are bleak and seem hopeless, God is always by your side. I know you
think that is so cheesy. You can’t see God, He can’t physically touch you to
comfort you like the many men that have been in your life. But He can touch
your heart, your soul.
He
is with you those nights you are crying from a shattered heart because another
guy has let you down.
He
hears you when you ask why He puts desires on your heart that he hasn’t filled.
He
sees you desperately trying to do anything you can to find joy and pleasure
only to be disappointed the next day.
Be
patient. I know you hate hearing that. You’ve been patient for years. Everyone
around you seems so happy with their lives, they have boyfriends, fiancé’s,
husbands, and children. Everything you think you want right now.
But
you aren’t ready.
Use
this time to read your Bible, even when you don’t want to. Get on your knees
and pray. It will feel awkward at first, but it is so freeing. I know you feel
like you don’t want to be around people or go to church. You don’t feel like
you belong there because of your tainted past.
Know
this, you are forgiven.
Those
people love you and care for you far more than you can ever know. And even when
you don’t want to be around them, do it anyway. You will thank me later.
Be
diligent and do these things and you will find God, your father, your friend,
and bring you more joy than you can imagine.
You
are beautiful, smart, funny, loving, talented and you are the daughter of the
King.
Never,
ever, EVER live as if you are anything less.
Wow! I have to say that this is such a healthy, wise thing to do - to step outside your current feelings and to surround yourself with what you know is true. Until your feelings catch up with you. Keep doing what you know you "should" be doing during this time and your feelings will eventually follow.
ReplyDeleteFeelings follow where our minds and thoughts go. And that is why it is so important to keep up with church and prayer and Bible reading. Not only will these things draw you closer to the Lord and to godly people, but they will help to protect you from the enemy's attacks.
And no matter what your situation is now, God will eventually use all things for good for those who love Him. And I can totally see what a ministry you could eventually have to other people. Actually, I can see the ministry that you already have to people with this blog.
Hang in there! Times will feel tough and hopeless at times. I know from my own life that I had to go through a few years of feeling as though God had abandoned me - before I could learn that God would never abandon me. Being abandoned was a huge fear in my life and I think the only way for Him to heal it was for Him to walk me through it, instead of running from it.
Anyway, what I want to say is "hang in there." He is always there, even when and especially when we can't see or feel Him. And it is those times that He has a lot that He wants us to learn. But that can usually only happen as we struggle with the pain and the feelings inside. So keep up with church and prayer and the Bible, and He will eventually show His faithfulness in your life.
And take comfort in knowing that church is the right place for sinners (which is all of us). It's sad to me that we have created a church atmosphere of who-can-be-holier, when it should be let's-all-be-real as we all humbly approach a God that none of us "deserves" to approach.
So thank God for His unearnable grace and love and forgiveness. None of us deserve it, but He loves us enough to give it to us anyway. Thank you for being real and open about your life. You have a beautiful heart! Take care and God bless! -Heather