If you knew me when I was …

Growing up, you would see me seated in between my parents and brothers every Sunday in church. My family occupied the same pew give or take one in front or in back every week. We learned at an early age that church manners were expected. Any deviation would result in a “kind” correction once we got home.

Weekly church dates taught us the value of community and the importance of time with family. When sitting on the wood pew grew uncomfortable, we learned to keep our grumbling to ourselves. If the service seemed to go on forever, we remained quiet and tried not to fidget.

This time marked my identity as a believer who understood the ins and outs of the “rules” but little else. The gift of song and worship carried me through from a young age and still does today.

If you knew me when I was …

A teenager, there was a subtle shift into discovering that church contained more than I knew as a child growing up. The all–girls high school, where I went, grew my love of worship and the idea that God was not just a disciplinarian.

Hope rang loud and a new kind of love–one of a Father for a daughter whispered its way into my heart. The desire to know more about Jesus stirred and I began to stretch my faith in new directions.

God took root in my soul and new branches grew and blossomed (John 15). It was a glorious beginning and a taste for love and grace that whet my appetite for the One who chose me.

If you knew me when I was …

Newly married with two young sons, busy became my battle cry and church sank to the bottom of my list of priorities. I called myself a believer but allowed religion and its nuances to take precedence over relationship.

A false sense of knowing lulled my desires to sleep and I found the routine of church took over. It was all I could do to get to church each week. I loved checking it off my to-do list.

Deeper was not part of my vocabulary and the tiny seed planted in high school grew dormant. And all I can do is give praise for the reckless love of God that never stops pursuing me (Psalm 23:6 TPT).

And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
(Reckless Love)

If you know me now …

My story is evolving. God continues to transform and redeem. He writes the best stories. No longer do I try to check church off of my list, but instead, desire a deeper and long-lasting relationship with my Father.

The beauty of my story is how God has taken a string of words and woven them together to share His love and grace. God takes my desire to be His child and creates a beginning, middle, and an end that is still playing out today. To me, the miracle is how God’s love is abundant and the overflow allows my story to grow and spill into others.

Maybe your story has circled around somewhat like mine. Maybe you are at the beginning and God is writing an abundance of grace into your life. Or perhaps, you grew up cherishing God from a young age. Each story is God-ordained and beautiful. My story is one that grows with each new day and my hope is that my own abundance becomes my kids’ and grandkids’ legacy.

I know that God bookends the beginning and end of my story with His love and new mercies.

He takes my mistakes and wipes them away with His forgiveness and restoration.

God loves my mess and teaches me how to seek Him more fully and trust His message.

God writes the pages of your story to share His legacy with the world. #newpost #TellHisStory #linkup #ifyouknewmewhen Share on X

Dear Friend,

God loves everything about you. He delights in all He has planned for you and when He wrote your story, He knew it would be good. Remember this …

Your story is always beautiful in the eyes of God because of His deep love. God writes the pages of your story to share His legacy with the world. Your story becomes His story when you allow His words to collide with your own (1 Peter 2:9-10 MSG).

Blessings,

Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash

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