Dear Silence–Breaker,
You must know you pierce my heart, kindle my compassion, as I watch you battle for the courage to change, to heal. You’ve been trying to do this on your own, and there’s no need.
I am here. I see how much you have suffered. I feel your fears. But you are in my house now, where you are safe. You will recover, and be protected; rest in this peaceful safety as you learn to hope in me.
I will use these hard experiences for good—just you wait.
Allow me to stir a supernatural hope within the chambers of your heart. Latch onto this hope, for it breeds courage—heart–courage. This sort of courage strengthens you to risk—to risk stepping into any lingering grief that has yet been settled, risk focusing on the future that waits, and risk starting-over.
Take the risk. Take the courage, my daughter. I will personally go ahead of you in this journey. You will not fail; I will not abandon you. Your job is to control your thoughts, replacing them with mine; my job is to control the world. Let’s work together in this.
Yes, you have been broken, but you are strong in me. I will use this, this long inner struggle is great fodder for a hurting world. Trust me in this? This brokenness will become a rich motivation for you to serve, rather than hide.
Like Jacob, you will make it to the other side—you will lay claim to, and enter into, the Promised Land. Yes, that sometimes means a face-to-face wrestling match with Me, the one we’re doing even now, the one where you will eventually surrender to your true self {the one I made you to be}. But once you’ve wrestled this thing through with me, it is then you will be prepared to help those behind you.
Fight bravely Princess Warrior, for there are many waiting for your victory.
Love,
Your Redeemer
{Taken from Acts 27; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Hebrews 3:6; Job 11:17-19 Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:7; 1 Chronicles 19:13}
Today we’re linking up around the topic of courage in spite of fear. Was there ever a time when fear has controlled you; how did you overcome that? There are a few ways you can participate today:
- Share your story by linking up a post you’ve written around this topic of courage {but be sure to mention our link up or use our button so we can stay in community}.
- Please share your heart about this post, or the topic in general, in our comments section below. I write these words so that I can connect with you. I want to know you, what your heart feels, and your words that need to be heard.
- Share our graphic and this link up with others on social media.
- After you’ve shared with us, be sure to go back and visit a couple of the bloggers who have also shared. Peek in on their stories, their hearts, and enjoy the connection with other link-minded folks.
Fear. Like electricity it can be useful and it can also kill you. It is something I’ve struggled with on many levels. Thank you for this beautiful post Jo Ann. Working on mine, but it’s no easy task. Bless you girl!
EXCELLENT!!!
These love letters are my favorite parts of the book. Thank you for being brave and fighting the fear.
Oh yes… Saying it with you, like a battle cry. Thank you for this.
I don’t blog but thank you for these words! They are just what my heart needed to hear!