Dear Paige, Addie & Brinnley,
Ahh how I love you each so dearly! You’re all fast asleep upstairs, tucked into bed, and I’m down here on the computer begging God to speak through me because I don’t feel I have any words left to give, to say tonight for this post…
It’s been a long day….I’m tired.
Not from you, no. I’m tired from this world. I’m tired from all the craziness of our world….the news, the heartache, the world’s brokenness …my own brokenness.
I feel weary tonight.
And it’s always in the weariness that fear seems to creep in.
I don’t really fear for me, I fear more for you.
And I know I shouldn’t, I KNOW in my mind I shouldn’t…but mamas tend to struggle with this when they think about their children and what the world will be like for them as they grow up.
And that’s why I pray for God’s protection over you EVERY night as we do our nightly prayers and backrubs…
I don’t know if you’ll ever remember the prayers I pray over you…and that’s okay, it doesn’t really matter. I know God hears them.
Nightly, I pray for your hearts to always be soft toward Him.
I pray for those sweet feet of yours to be firmly grounded in His Word.
I pray for those beautiful eyes of yours to see like Jesus…people who are hurting and need a word of encouragement.
I pray for you to live lives to the fullest…knowing that our God is Immanuel….God with us.
I never want you to forget…God is always with you.
Tonight I read about Joseph in Matthew 1, and I found it interesting the angel of the Lord told Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife.
Fear.
Of all the men on earth, Joseph was chosen to be the earthly father to Jesus and yet what was his reaction? Fear.
Ohhh girls, there are going to be times in your life when God will call you to an act of obedience – a step of faith – and your first reaction will be that of fear…just like Joseph.
Fear of the unknown.
Fear of what other people will think.
Fear of failure.
And in those moments, I want you to remember that we serve a God who promises He will never leave us or forsake us.
Our God’s name is Immanuel, and He is with us.
Be brave.
In those days when fear is pounding at your heart, cling to Immanuel, and pray as if He is right in front of you….because He is.
Yes, this world can be a very scary place. But it’s a world in need of Jesus.
And I wonder maybe, just maybe, all this brokenness and fear in our world is giving us opportunities to be brave together, to love deeper…and to live lives that demonstrate we are a people who know our God is with us.
Sweet girls, NEVER forget your lives are in His hands.
He is the Good Shepherd.
Our Price of Peace.
Our Everlasting Father
Our Mighty God.
Fear, you have no place here.
We will be brave in spite of you.
We will trust even when our feelings fail us.
God, we will take you at your name: Immanuel….you are with us.
Tonight my sweet girls, I’m taking my own advice…I’m going to guard my heart and turn my fears into prayers…knowing God is here with me.
I have set the Lord always before me,
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.- Psalm 16:8