Sweet Friends,
I’ve been meaning to write… in fact, I’ve started three or four blog posts in the last two weeks, getting a couple hours or a couple paragraphs in, only to feel like it just wasn’t right.
Whatever I was trying to say, it suddenly sounded too whiny or too preachy or too rambly or too pretentious or too cliche … or just not what Jesus would have me say.
What would He have me say? What is it that you need to hear from Him today? Honestly I’m not really sure. I blame the Vicodin!
In a perfect world, the one I wish I lived in and keep trying to create — the one I describe in the introduction to What Women Should Know About Letting It Go — I would have gotten all caught up and prepared some blog posts to run AHEAD OF TIME. You know that’s what I intended to do. Promised myself I would do.
But it didn’t happen.
Deep breath. Sigh. Letting it go.
Some of you know that last Monday, after twelve years of chronic pain, six previous failed knee surgeries, and two trabecular fractures, I finally had (as a last resort) a partial knee replacement!
If you’ve been through one of these surgeries, you know it’s no fun at all. I’ve spent most of the last ten days heavily medicated, sleeping through as much of the pain as I can. I’m sure I could draw all kinds of spiritual insights and metaphors from the experience (especially the whole rehab aspect), but frankly I’m too crabby about it right now.
The good news is that this surgery is something I’ve needed for a long time, and God miraculously provided for it — His hand is all over this — so I’m trusting Him for my healing and recovery. He is my hope and my future. I just have to get through this next few weeks… the hard part… and then I should experience some amazing relief, which will help me continue to do the work He’s called me to for years to come!
And I’m doing a little better each day…
And some really exciting things are coming… I’ve got some very special things I can’t wait to share with you soon!
And although I wasn’t up to writing anything really profound (sorry), I couldn’t let this week go by without celebrating…
Two years ago this week, after asking God to give me a fresh vision for my ministry — a renewed sense of purpose and passion — I started this blog!
I had been in women’s ministry for twenty-five years as an author and speaker and radio host, but somehow I had missed the whole blogging and social media thing (I guess I’d been kinda busy with everything else)… I posted a little on Facebook and I had a website for my radio ministry, but I really didn’t do much else online.
It’s been such an amazing adventure — getting to connect with you — on a daily basis, here on the blog, on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. Sharing our hearts, our lives, our journeys…
I could never have imagined how much it would mean to me… how blessed I would be by your love and friendship, encouragement, and support. I am so grateful for each and every one of you!
As I said, I’m excited about what the future holds… I know God has good things in store for us. There may also be some hard things, painful things we have to walk through. But we don’t have to take a single step alone.
We have Him and we have each other.
And we know that each and every step gets us that much closer to our ultimate goal – which is what Paul said, in Philippians 3:10:
“I want to know Christ…”
Or as the Amplified Version translates it:
“For my determined purpose is that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness…”
That’s my prayer for you and for me today.
