Writing in this way is a gift. It comes from God and I share.

I’ve had people ask why I’m not writing on the blog. Where have I been. I’ll loose readers. Etc…. but this is the thing. I love to share when I know God would have me share. I’ve been in a season of growth. So balancing all the things is what I’ve been doing. Until right now ….

We came down early on this morning for the beach. Chris to fish and me to walk.

The Lord is so sweet in how He speaks to us. For me, I hear Him very clearly in nature. My walks on the beach with Him are irreplaceable. Life giving. Soul filling. Healing. This morning was no different.

As always, my hopes were set on finding a conch shell, my favorite. I have hopes for a megaladon shark tooth too, but that’s because my husband and child would be over the moon. In all honesty I probably wouldn’t recognize it if I saw it. See they’ve studied them. They look for shark teeth every time we are at the beach. My daughter is a pro! She has hundreds. She can spot the tiniest of teeth from standing position. Because she has persevered through not finding to finding. Seeing what looks like a sharks tooth to find it’s a perfectly shaped imposter. Training her eye to recognize the shape and colors. So where I look at everything constantly seeking a color or a shape, she has trained herself to override the “everything” and only see the colors and shapes. I think this is beautiful. Much like how God would have us to live. So familiar with Him and His ways that all imposters are recognized immediately. Never even considered.

This morning the first shell I came across was this beauty. I remember thinking wow! What a beautiful color. I picked it up and was immediately deflated to see its big gaping hole. …. that’s when it began. The lesson. The story would unfold before me.

Isn’t that what we do over and over as people. We see someone or meet a new friend and they seem perfect. So we spend time. Get to know them. Then it happens. We discover a big gaping hole in them and discard them as not perfect. Or become disappointed in what we had made them out to be.

I’m thankful that God doesn’t treat us that way. I’m thankful He teaches us, over time, how to handle the gaping holes. How to see our own holes, by reading His word and desiring different for ourselves. Trusting Him after we confess that to Him to change our hearts. Because the truth is, we all have holes. Granted, they are different sizes. All of our holes can only be healed and filled with one thing, God. All other imposters are just that, imposters. Imposters that numb the hole or hide the hole. Distract us from the hole. When we rely on anything other than God to heal our wounds. When we believe anything or any lie outside of God’s word, it is a wound. A wound that will fester. It will eat at who we are until we decide to believe the truth of God. Much like the next shell that rolled up to me literally.

Until we seek God with our whole heart. Until we choose to believe and say out loud God’s word. Say it and repeat until we truly believe it. Believe it until we live it out. Living it out is where others find HOPE. Where others see God’s work in you and desire the same for themselves. Will the enemy come to try to tell you that God don’t love you, yes he will, it’s what he does. Will he try to convince you that numbing the hole or distracting the hole is good – because you wont have to deal with it, yes he will, because he knows that when you take that hole to God, he no longer has an in.

God reminded me that we visually or even physically judge others by so many characteristics. Characteristics not even chosen by the person. Color of skin. Where they are born. Where we meet them. Truth is, God made all of us. Period. And all of us regardless of our color are in need of Jesus. All of us regardless of anything, are in need of Jesus. Every. Single. Person.

Jesus would befriend even the most tangled of people. BUT He would remain himself amongst them. He would not join in on their misjudgments or sin, he would be himself, perfect and so different from the rest. Saying or doing what His Father would ask of Him. I felt The Lord showing me where I had joined in on the sin but also where I was standing firm. He is teaching how to be His in a world that isn’t. It’s exactly what Jesus did.

Because He knew that there was only one way to experience the one true and perfect Son. That is to always be walking toward the Son.

When we choose to walk with God, daily seeking His word. Asking of Him what in you needs work that only He can do. God moves. He gives us more than we can imagine. An abundance of Himself. Peace. Joy. Patience. Love. And when we have those attributes – our outward actions display that for others. Leading others to the Son.

As the walk ended, I realized indeed, God gives an abundance of His attributes to those who seek. It is a promise. We don’t have to live a life controlled by our past. We can choose today to believe in God’s abundance. To choose God’s promises over any lie. To seek His ways instead of our own. To live in the freedom that God calls us to live in. To walk toward the Son.

Father show me the lies I am believing. Reveal to me the wounds from my past that are keeping me outside of your will for me. Help me daily to walk with you. Remind me to place you first. My desire is to walk toward you, claiming the active and alive promises of your word. Place in me the desire to be exactly what you have for me. I ask this believing in the name of Jesus, my only hope in eternity with you. Thank you for choosing me. Amen