Living life so you can tell your story
I shared in my latest weekly message that I took a bit of a break to focus on healing after my back procedure. This week I have continued to focus on healing and testing the limits of my back as I prepare to head to hike El Camino de Santiago. I shared this with a dear friend and her wise words stuck with me…Sometimes you have to live life so that you can write. Another fellow writer once told me that he felt he had no more stories to share, I encouraged him to sit and write in support of one of our freelance writing opportunities and he found his voice again. It’s not that my voice has been silent or I ahve not felt the urge to write, it is simply that I needed to focus on healing so that I could write. It reminds me of the message of hope and restoration from the book of Jeremiah. "I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it” (Jeremiah 33: 6-9, NIV) God shares that when we God restores us, we cannot help but share and rejoice at all that He has provided. Our stories are built from living life. They are built of the heartbreaks and joys of living.
Another trip around the sun
Another year, another birthday. Yesterday was a good day. Although my back is still limiting movement, I woke up to breakfast in bed, snuggles with the girls, slow walking and window shopping for furniture for our new home, and a surprise gathering of dear friends for dinner. Not a bad day at all. I have these little things I do every year on my birthday. I refuse to look at any text messages or answer any calls until Rob and the girls say happy birthday, I want to share it with them first. I spend the day thinking of how blessed I am to live and breathe another day, reflecting on the year, and spending time with my family. There have been years when I have been far from home either serving in combat or on military duty, but we always find a way to celebrate in any way we can-even if not on the exact day. It’s just what we do for each other and I am thankful for it. When God called to Jeremiah, telling him that “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV). God would say the same for all of us, He knew us all before we were born, He formed us in the womb. What a wonderful gift to have the breathe of life given to us by our Father. So, every birthday, it’s not only a celebration of a year, but thankfulness for all the God has placed before me. Thankfulness for Him creating me just the way I am and continuing to be present in my life.
All is not lost, there is hope
After I studied the Old Testament in my theology coursework, I shared with one of my Chaplains in the military that it completely changed my perspective of the Old Testament. Many times, I have read the entire Bible in a year and I would sometimes dread the reading of portions of the Old Testament. It always felt so bloody, and bleak-and I am a warfighter! Then something happened, when I started studying instead of simply reading, I started seeing the Old Testament as one love story after another. So many times, we humans, God’s children have turned away from God. We have worshipped false idols, we have disobeyed clear commands, we have committed one sin after another even after personally witnessing God’s miracles. What does God do? God continues to forgive, to give us hope even after we fail Him time and time again. Has there ever been a better love story written? One of the major prophets Jeremiah warns the kingdom of Judah of their upcoming demise and invasion from Babylon. But his message does not end there, he shares a message of hope, of God’s love. “Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:13, NIV). Even in delivering the message of darkness to come, God has Jeremiah give His people a message of hope and restoration. How is that not a beautiful love story?