Sometimes in the chaos of life we can often get tangled up in carnal thinking.  I find myself in this tangle all too often.  But this past weekend God whispered into my Spirit the importance of keeping my eyes locked on His, and focused on things above. And in doing all this he asked me to release my earthly pursuits and priorities at the foot of His cross.  He spoke of His deep love for me in a way I couldn’t have made up or orchestrated on my own, if I tried.

I have two beautiful birth daughters that God designed intricately and perfectly, and they are priceless, precious, and incredible in every single way.  When my marriage was shattered, and our family was broken to pieces, it felt as though every dream, plan, desire and prayer of my heart was ripped away from me.  I was blinded to what my future was going to be like.  But I met Jesus in that season of my life, like I had never known.  My broken heart was not too broken for Him to heal.  I learned to blindly trust Jesus, and my faith was strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I allowed Him to become all of my hopes, dreams, plans and desire.  I remember the struggles of wondering how in the world my life was ever going to be anything but broken.

And Jesus lifted my head.  He held me and spoke tenderly and sweetly to my Spirit.  He gave me so many promises in His Word that I learned to stand on.  He became my foundation, and taught me my identity was solely in Him.  It wasn’t in what box I had to check on a marital status line, and it wasn’t in my strengths or greatest weaknesses, my failures or my abilities.  My identity and every fiber of my being are entwined in the richness of who I am in Jesus Christ.  I definitely didn’t earn it, He showed me that because of Jesus, my destiny and His plans for my life can not be thwarted for any reason, or any decision, or any weapon formed against me.

Then in a way that only Jesus can do, He brought an incredible, God-fearing, God-loving man to my front door.  All the who, what, where, when and how questions would take an entire book of words to tell.  I knew without a shadow of a doubt this man was the man I longed and prayed for.  I knew this man would never satisfy and meet every need in my heart, because Jesus had been teaching me that He is the only one who ever will.  But Jesus gave this man like a gift to myself and my girls to love us, and teach us, and pray for us.  And I was also given 2 daughters in the covenant that we made with Jesus, who are absolutely fearfully and wonderfully made.  They are designed intricately and perfectly, and are priceless and precious in ever single way. And I have the extreme privilege of loving them, and praying for their precious hearts to be founded in Jesus Christ.  This is an honor that I do not take lightly.

Which brings me to the revelation that God so beautifully gifted to me this past Sunday.  In the season before my marriage ended, my mom had been fighting a battle with cancer, and my oldest daughter, then 8, asked to be baptized.  And not only had she confidently at a very tender age decided to follow Jesus, she asked me to be the one to baptize her.  So with all the courage I had with the strength of Jesus, I baptized my precious daughter.  My mother bravely and courageously, with all the strength she had prepared for church, and came and sat on the steps leading to the baptistry to witness one of her granddaughter’s bold declaration of faith.  This is a moment I cherish and hold dear to my heart.

First Daughter’s baptism

Little did I know that this very place would be the place that I would meet Jesus weekly several years later with all of the broken pieces of my heart, and with those who were part of the team that held up my arms with the strength of Jesus.  Many of those 15 minute prayer sessions were filled with sweet tears, victory, and a yearning of more of Jesus in my life.  Those steps leading to the baptistry pool, are anointed with the oil of Jesus Christ.  It is one of the treasured places, and Holy Ground that represent the faithfulness of God to me.

This Sunday, my step daughter in love, and my youngest daughter were both baptized on the same day.  Their testimony’s about their decisions to follow Jesus are beautiful.  Both girls were drawn to Jesus by His Holy Spirit at entirely different times and in different cities surrounded by family members.  Their decisions were sole and separate and not a monkey-see-monkey-do decision (even though they both have little monkey qualities at times).  These two girls asked to be baptized at totally different times, to totally different people.  Jesus showed me, as I was sitting on those sacred steps this Sunday, that this was absolutely all set-up by Him, on His timing, on His day that He knew about before the beginning of time.  Yes, we called and set up the baptisms with the pastor, even praying if it should be done on the same day.  It was Jesus Himself who orchestrated this celebration Sunday.  I couldn’t have made any of it up if I had tried.

He had gone before these two precious girls before the beginning of time, drawn them by the power of His Spirit to walk with Him at early ages.  It was a prayer that had been prayed for both girls since they were born.  As I sat on those steps for 30 minutes with my 4 precious daughters singing in delight and anticipation, as my husband kept the beautiful beat of our worship service with His God-given gift of drumming, my heart overflowed with joy.  The song Goodness of God was playing, and His Spirit poured out to me.  Holy Spirit reminded of one of the precious promises given to me during my pain. “I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace.”  Isaiah 54:13  I didn’t know my two precious daughter’s in love at the time, but Jesus did.  And He had this promise for them as well.  And here I was reveling in all that God had done, and anticipating all that He is going to do for these girls.  Each and everyone of them is set apart for wholeness and holiness. 2 Thes 2:13, 14

Chosen for Wholeness

¹³ We always have to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, for you are dearlyloved by the Lord. He proved it by choosing you from the beginning for salvation^[s]through the Spirit, who set you apart for holiness, and through your belief in the truth.^[t] 14 To this end he handpicked you for salvation through the gospel so that you would have^[u] the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.^[v]

God has called these girls, set them apart, is already teaching them, and has a gorgeous plan and destiny for their lives.  Not one plan that God has for them will be thwarted.  And I get a front row seat to watch God move and work in their lives.  I pray that they learn the beauty of His sacred holy ground of intimacy and relationship with Jesus early, early, early.  I pray God’s protection and peace be with each of them.  I pray for wisdom, strength, love and knowledge to encourage each one in her giftings, and calling to follow Jesus into His perfect love.  I pray for my failures and weaknesses to be filtered through the holy hands of God.  I pray for the covenant and unity between myself and my handsome drummer to be anointed, renewed, and entwined with the Holy Spirit so that we may point these beautiful creations to Jesus love.

I pray that we all ascend the stairs toward growth in Jesus Christ.  Song of Songs 2:14

For you are my dove, hidden in the split-open rock.^[r]
It was I who took you and hid you up high
in the secret stairway of the sky.
Let me see your radiant face and hear your sweet voice.^[s]
How beautiful your eyes of worship
and lovely your voice in prayer.

Double Portion!