God (G) – Crafting my book is not your work it is your passion. I am doing. You are resting. It is this truth that I want you resting in. This is mine, a gift to show my love and unique way; an invitation for others to meet me and enjoy me. This is not you showing you. This is me showing me. Yes, it is a transparent walk, but it is safe. I am your rear guard. You can count on me. This is a good work and I am.
Beth (B) – Choosing you again. Choosing, yes Lord. I trust you with my all. I trust you. Thank you Lord for choosing me. Thank you for believing in me, my yes, my faith, my vulnerability, my mess, my way, that our way together is something beautiful to you and you can use to encourage others into relationship with you that is more, more than they imagine, more than they believe, more. I feel a bit off, like the words now are being read by others. It feels a bit odd as I write.
G – Relax, rest and trust. Stop performing, striving, let go of needing to look a certain way and even the places of what others think, believe, know.
B – I am getting sense of lid being blown off and that gets me super excited. I am all in on revealing the more of you, out of the box God that I long for. It is fear, opinion, judgment, performance, works, striving, yuck that attempts to contain you in the packaging that fits our beliefs and our ideas and our understandings and I do not want that broken, man version of God. I want you in all of your glory without any wrappings or ribbons or tissue or bags or anything. Just you. I want to be able to stand with you, my friend, my companion, my teacher, my love, my daddy, my brother, my everything and for your glory, not one bit about anything for me but all for you. Allowing you to show your fullness, however that looks, through me. I am encouraged that you can woo and draw others deeper because of my yes. That my broken, messy places can be used by you to show your glory and that is magnificent. A person’s opinion never ever changed the truth about you and yes, I am willing to stand with you. I see a battle readiness; let’s do this thing, and the troops crouched, ready to run. Lord, with you, as long as I am with you, I am yes. Thank you, Lord. Wow, amazing grace. Wow. The little sheep feeling rod and staff comfort (Psalm 23) the guide, the protection, the path, the place with you. Thank you, Lord.
G – Ask.
B – Your way, health, plenty, truth abounding, blinders off many, unity, vitality, vigor, boldness, clarity, wisdom in hearing and doing, clarity, clear path, clear words, clear decisions, clear. Re- recompense, redemption, recovery. Mountains of debt being turned upside down into mountains of plenty. All recovered for your glory: property, money, health, time, adventures, trips, gifts, all, food, fun, laughter, peace, relationships, all. HS (my familiar nickname for Holy Spirit) let’s work/play on book. I am inviting you. Show me where to go, what to look at, what to do next. Thank you, HS. You are amazing. I am incredibly grateful for you. Thank you.
Excerpt from An Encourager’s Heart