You who are feeling the effects of the slowness of this life. Who long for heaven as if you've been there before. As if you remember what it was like. As if you had a taste of it only to be put back in the tedium of this world.
This is for you.
You who are lost. Stumbling around, knowing there is hope out there, at least you think there is, but you can't find it. You try to fill that deep nasty filthy void with so many things. So many wrong things. I know you. I was you. I am you.
This is for you.
You who are fighting, battling, with everything in you. Feeling the unrelenting beat down of evil, asking why God wishes you to endure the constant attacks. You who pray and fast and feel none changed. You who wonder why you even bother.
This is for you.
He is whispering your name, gently calling you, requesting an audience. He will never force himself on you.
He knows your struggles and wants to balm your soul with His shocking glory. He waits for you to seek Him out so He can restore you to Him completely. He is waiting to show you your birthright as a champion, as a warrior. As His.
For he says, In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Behold,now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
II Corinthians 6:2
ABOUT ARIANNE
Arianne is a freelance writer and mom of three boys and a baby girl, living in Charleston, South Carolina. She sifts through the dinosaurs and trains and fluffy cloth diapers to find her inner steel...
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Amen! Thanks!
thanking you very much! Praying that God will give INCourage a lot of years to come. Love reading the blog.
Downright beautiful. :O)
So true.
Thank you, this was for me!
A favorite memory? Thats hard. I have many with my children over the years, this summer I’ve managed to catch a lot of them on the camera such as the first time they got to play in a creek on a trip to Gatlinburg. My boy kept saying ‘mom when can we go river walking’? Or my girl getting up extra early with me and sitting outside in the early morning hours, or our trips to get out toe nails painted at a salon instead of at home–a big treat for her!
I am so hoping to engrain memories of us together in their little minds because I struggle to rememeber anything positive with my mother. I am in the midst of counseling and trying despirately to overcome a lot of things and right now we are focusing on memories from my childhood. I have yet to remember one positive thing that involves my mother. I am determined to not end up being the same way with my kids as she was with me.
I am divorced and share my kids with their father so every time I have my kids I try to build memories with them because without them, as an adult, it feels really bad.
I have so many favorite memories with my family, but by far my current #1 favorite would have to be from this past weekend when I went camping with my husband and 11 month old daughter. She’s starting to walk, so she was so cute crawling and toddling around the campsite. She loved to put rocks from outside the tent inside the tent. It was so wonderful to share this first with my husband and I cherish every memory I can make with my family
A favorite memory? Too many favorites. Let’s go with a recent one. We have a new puppy in the house that makes for lots of interesting moments with the kids. This morning my youngest slipped out of bed and was found resting on the floor with the dog. Too cute.
Todays “This is for you” spoke to me about my mom. I lost her over 20 years ago to cancer, but the pain is still fresh, the void tremendous. Many times since, in times of need, I have thought of her smile, her hug, and thought this is a piece of heaven, a blessing God has sent to me.
Thank the Lord for this post today! I am struggling with my family, battles upon battles. The Lord led me to Psalm 119 this morning, and praying it out loud, personally, to My God, I was deeply encouraged. Nothing helps like Jesus~! :-)
Beautiful.
Thinking on this today…
Lots of memories for me too…but one I treasure is the first moment when I saw my baby girl after she was born…her eyes, the whites were so white, no red streaks from weariness…the innocence of those eyes, the purity, the unconditional love and ultimate trust…her eyes. Truly a gift from God. I felt like I did something right…
oh lovely and true.
Favorite memory…there are many. taking my boys on a vacation trip and enjoying the “just us” time. Indy just before school started 5 years ago was a fun one!!
Thanks for sharing!
My favorite memory that I think of often is spending weeks with my grandparents during summer vacation. My grandfather is with Jesus now, and though I can’t talk to him or enjoy his company, I always think back on those times and smile!
Family vacation time spent just sitting and talking together- no computer, no laundry, no texting.
Thank you for this, how could you know that as I scrolled through my emails the words you wrote would be what I saw when I needed them most! Bright blessings!
My favorite memory was when my husband and I took our kids on a trip to an indoor water park. It was a short, inexpensive trip, but I really think our family needed to get away. God provided everything. It was so much fun. We laughed and just enjoyed the Lord and our time away. Now, we have a small bank that we are all put our change into so we can, God willing go next year. This has been neat for us all to save for. It has taught the kids about saving and reaching a goal. I am excited to, God willing go next year and make more memories. Praise the Lord.
“…shocking glory…”
Sometimes just a few words give me pause to consider an aspect of God to celebrate. Such as these :).
wonderful
We have four children, and the third is a 5-year old little girl, who is bright, funny, and very social.
After picking her up from preschool last spring, I asked how her day was and who she played with. She suddenly says out of the blue, “Mom, Raven said she’s black and I’m white. I told her she’s wrong–I’m light tan and she’s darker tan! Right, mom?”
I could not quit laughing. If we could always see through the eyes of our children, what a gift that would be.
I am blessed with 4 Crowning Glories (grandchildren) and they keep me in stitches. My favorite times now are the times I spend with them. Watching them grow and seeing life through their eyes are a constant delight. And as far a choosing one memory – it’s impossible!
Thanks for reminding me that God is for me! It was a beautiful reminder of keeping on through the good and the bad of this life. Heaven will be worth it all!
A family memory that is a favorite for all of us….is the summer trip to Canada. Fishing!
It was the best of times. Our kids still talk about it!
I love this.
I have been so blessed with my own children and the memories. I can remember one time that my youngest son was on the football team for senior homecoming. I had just had radiation to the head. I had not one stitch or hair on my head. So my kids and the team all painted my sons number and *Go Team!* On my head. I will never forget the support of Family and Community that day. My son got one of two touchdowns that day! His only one his senior year. But the memories..of that day..Still touch us all so deeply!
As for the Crowning Glories…Gosh Melynda..I feel the say for my one grandchild. They are a blessing and I enjoy them just beyond what I ever thought I would.
Thanks so much for your reminders this morning..I need that to stay on track and task! xo
Thank you. If God is for us who can be against us? (Well, our own evaluation, our own emotions…)
I just made my favorite family memory this weekend. We played an impromptu game of kickball with my kids when we had all my husband’s siblings and their spouses over this weekend. It was way too much fun!
this was for ME…
A funny story about memories! My daughter was about 3 years old. My In-Laws took her to the beach and they were building a sand castle. My mother-in-law said “Desi, we are making memories”. My daughter looked at her with a really confused look on her face. She said “Nana, we’re making a sand castle.” LOL
thank you for the comforting words.
some of my wonderful memories are in here
http://bendedspoon.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/some-wonders-of-my-heart/
:)
My favorite memory is from both friends and family. A few years ago when I was home on furlough, the friends I grew up with knew how much I loved my grandma and wanted to stay in touch with her. So, they pooled their money and bought me a computer to give to my grandma so she could e-mail me in Kenya when I was there. I was so blessed by this gift from my friends and my grandma had a great Christmas too! She graduated to heaven about a year and a half after that, when I was in Kenya, but we were able to communicate almost to the end. It was such a blessing to me and to her to know how much my friends cared for both of us!
WOW… That’s the only word I can say… Thank you so much for posting this… :) I really like reading the books of the Chronicles of Narnia because they remind me of our Real Home… Love you girls! <3
When my kids were small, some of my favorite times were at the beach flying kites and roasting marshmallows and hot dogs. In recent years, one of my precious memories is watching my grown son with his newborn son and then watching him interact as he has grown.
Beautiful is so true!!!
A great message.
PTL, for HE is Good!!!
A favorite memory of mine is when my three-year-old was saying his prayers before bed and he asked Jesus to give him more Spiderman super powers. “Please Please Jesus! I promise I will only use them for your glory!” My husband and I laughed so hard we cried. (After we praised him for being a good steward of God’s blessings :)
perfect perfect perfect. thank you thank you thank you.
I lost my father about 4 years ago to cancer. My favorite memory is watching and waiting for him to pull into my drive every Christmas morning to see what “Santa” brought the kids. I still catch myself looking out the window to see if he has arrived. I know he stills comes into our house to see what Santa brought every year but now it’s his spirit and he is coming from Heaven.
hmm…yes and Amen :)
Ive gotten to know a couple in my church,well I knew them, but didn’t really know them. Well I now have gotten to know them and myself and my son went camping with them three times this summer. We all had so much fun!!!!
My favorite times with family are filled with laughter. That is not to diminish the quiet moments of sharing hearts. Watching my children’s eyes dance, and my overburdened man’s grin widen into full laughter is such a delight.
Blessings!
Love this! One great memory i have is we just took a family photo and i thought we would make it fun, we all laid on the living room floor in a circle with our heads touching and had the camera trapeze from the ladder, it was great!
Watching my baby girl’s new grandparents discover the joys of babyhood all over again…and reveling in the miracle that is life and living…
“Who long for heaven as if you’ve been there before. As if you remember what it was like. As if you had a taste of it only to be put back in the tedium of this world.”
You too?
A great memory was just sitting on a rock with my daughter at Halibut Point, MA watching the tide come in …. A simply lovely time.
I cannot even tell you how much I needed to read this today. Thank you!
Looking for Hope’s conversation as she was the one who won the cards…can’t find it…post it please?