Do you every wonder if God is there? If He really hears what’s in your heart? I just had to share this morning how God was speaking to me.
My first clue was the dream I had last night. It was the most amazing. So here it is……I found it easier to write it in form of a letter to Lydia.
I found you singing in your room with your pink microphone, ever so softly and sweetly, of course you were dressed in pigtails and mismatched clothes.
“Lydia?” I said in disbelief. “Is it you?” You glanced at me with that sweet little smile and those piercing blue eyes. It really was you.
With tears streaming down my cheeks, I ran and picked you up in my arms squeezing you so tightly. You were beautiful. I got to hear your voice. Something I was so afraid of forgetting. Blonde hair and pigtails, you looked just like before. Soft skin, adorable giggles. Your Strawberry Shortcake pillow was there too, laying in my closet, just the like the matching blanket I have on the bed.
You never left the bedroom, so I rushed out to get your brother so he could see you once again, hoping you wouldn’t leave. Grabbing him by the hand, we ran back to you. As we entered the room, you smiled so big and continued singing, with your great grandma sitting next to you. You were both smiling and laughing-clearly full of joy. Oh I love you so much sweet pea. And then, I kept hearing. “I am alive. Just believe. I’m always here.”
Whoa.
What gift God gave me this Sunday morning. It had been forever since I had a dream of Lydia. Seriously, it must have been well over a year. Was it real? I didn’t want to forget. I tried desperately to go back to sleep to find her again. Regrettably, I was awake and there was no going back.
Why does it always happened like this? He allows us little glimpses and then we are forced back to reality.
Once awake, I let it all soak in. Feeling content, I glanced over at my phone and a new notification popped up, telling me of a new memory today of portraits over the years. It’s a slideshow the phone somehow puts together and notified me of this morning. Strangely, I don’t recall receiving one of these before. As I pushed play, photos of my second daughter in the past years rotated. My heart warmed with gratitude as I watched photos of my precious Sadie, the rainbow little girl He had given me.
Looking at the pictures, I became overwhelmed with love and thankfulness. God has given me another chance to love a different daughter. What a gift. It’s as if I was subtlety being told that it’s okay. Lydia is at peace and okay, but here on earth I have this wonderful other daughter to love and grow with. Incredible really.
Blessed and grateful I am this morning. And then…..
Something prodded me to check my email for the daily bible verse. I get them in abundance in my email, but rarely read them every day. Today was different, and I knew I must open it.
Staring at me was the verse John 7:37-
Eagerly, I turned to my bible and there it was.
37: On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” 38: He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Amazing. It was the promise of the Holy Spirit in today’s scripture. Reminding me, and I’m reminding you…that we must Go to HIM,…Not anyone else, but Go to Him and we will be satisfied…He will meet our needs like nothing else.
When we are thirsty, when we get that crave for coffee, energy drinks, soda, alcohol or even bottled water, we lunge for the superficial instant gratification. We too often reach for these temporary physical quenchers, yet they do nothing for our spiritual thirst. We can search and search trying to satisfy our inner needs, yet, in all reality, to improve the quality of our lives, we must be still and seek Him. Quit the façade. Quit diluting and distracting ourselves with people and activities as we perfect the art of avoidance so we don’t have to feel the pain and sadness life can bring.
We must dust off those bibles that sit near our beds unopened for months. We must be vulnerable, exposing out hurting hearts and imperfections to Him, as only He can bring healing and wholeness to our lives, filling the emptiness in our souls.
The key word is come. We must come to him and He will meet us there. He will be there waiting. Meet him, seek him and he will quench our thirst. We need to acknowledge our need for Christ, extinguishing all self-reliance by opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit, welcoming peace and love on an entire new level.
Be reminded, He suffered and died for us. He is alive and with us in every moment. He knows and understands our weaknesses. When we are feeling down, when our souls need replenished, just go to Him and he will satisfy our aching hearts.
Talk about powerful. He was speaking to me in so many ways this morning, it was wild.
The promise of the Holy Spirit…
Isaiah 58:11
And the lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
As our faith strengthens and we grow closer to God, our eyes will be opened to His blessings. Some days I’m too self-absorbed to notice, but today it was vivid and clear. I knew I must share these little glimpses of God. May you all find God’s presence with you this week.