Story by: Randy Grathen.
There was a young woman at our church who had just become a Christian. A friend suggested she could use some encouragement, so about once a month I wrote an anonymous letter sharing my thoughts on faith and being a Christian.
Even if you could clone yourself – a perfect DNA match, you would still be one of a kind.
You are one of a kind, never to be duplicated. You and you alone are the sum total of your life experiences. All of them, good and bad have shaped who you are today. But no matter who you are, you have the unique opportunity to change who you will become. As a daughter of God-Your-Father you are of royal blood. You became a new creation in Christ. King David wrote, “For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” psalm 139, verse 13.
It’s hard to know an invisible God. But if you watch, with the new eyes you’ve been given, you will learn to see His hand and His plans unfolding in your life.
If I had a daughter, I would want her to know . . .
You are of infinite worth! So valuable that Jesus died on the cross for you, paid your ransom so you can claim your inheritance in heaven.
You are not an object. Not a sex toy or a doormat for a man. Don’t settle for OK, but you will probably have to work up to “great” as you learn to build and grow a relationship. The man in your life should bring out the best in you, not belittle you to make himself feel important. The Lord has someone picked out for you. You’ll find each other. Don’t rush – don’t settle.
Don’t hang out with losers. The best you can ever aspire to is to be the “best” loser in the group. Instead find the smartest, happiest people you know that will let you hang out with them, then listen, question, and learn. If you know someone that has the kind of life you want, don’t reinvent the wheel, find out what they know. They’ve already done the hard work and most people are more than happy to share what they’ve learned.
A Cord of Three Strands. A forehead-slapping moment I only recently learned myself. Ecclesiastes 4:12. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” My marriage has surpassed anything I could have ever hoped for, or imagined, and it is still evolving. We “learned” our way to this point, and it’s taken a long time to get here. We finally understood that we are partners in this journey of life, not rivals. We share the same life vest. We are not fighting each other for our own pleasures and survival. We take joy in watching each other grow and succeed in life. We support each other and their ambitions. But, if two can defend themselves, then why is a cord of three strands mentioned? What or who is the third strand? We finally figured out that God is the first of the three strands. When we are wrapped tightly around that first strand, nothing can defeat us.
People speak of the “joy that surpasses all understanding.” Philippians 4, verse 7. “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Because Laurie and I know who we are in Christ, and where we are going, this adventure we are on together; filled with various trials, has made us stronger and deepened our relationship with God and each other. When we go through the valley, He is with us. We are never alone. And it just keeps getting better year after year. God does His best work when we’re in the valley. Our attention becomes more focused on the moment instead of the minutia. God will reveal some of his best insights for us during those times.
Watch for what Laurie and I call God Winks. Those little seemingly “random” things that happen when God blesses us with something, without our asking. Many time it’s in retrospect that we realize what He did. It is his way of reminding us that He is always there, always watching over us. He is never more than a thought away.
Remember to take time each morning to lay your new day before the Lord. Offer it up to Him to take charge of and follow where He leads you. I can’t wait to see what he does in your life.
Our cord of three strands remains strong. Hunkered down in our basement, our home in Missouri took a direct hit by an F-4 tornado with winds speeds well over 215 mph, and we walked away. We survived Hurricane Ian as 156 mph winds battered our house for 6 hours. I’ve fallen out of a high-lift and been T-boned by a truck. Laurie has had three cancer surgeries. Those stories and more are all here in Our High Places. I don’t know how we would have coped with all that and more without Him.
“Thank you Heavenly Father for your faithfulness to protect us, guide us, prosper us,
and give us the peace that surpasses all understanding. Until You call us home…”
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