Look here. I have made you a part of Me, written you on the palms of My hands.

Isaiah 49:16

I have a very talented, artistic daughter-in-love who designed this and gifted it to me several years ago, adorned with my name in Hebrew.

Every time I see it, I am reminded of Whose I really am.

As you sit and have coffee with me today, and I share my heart, I pray you will…

... be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is His love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Ephesians 3:18-19 TPT

Lonliness…..abandonment…..rejection…..betrayal…..

…… tools of satan, the enemy, designed to isolate, divide, and hiss lies into our minds and hearts.

Jesus Himself, in John 10:10 says this…

“The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!”

We have all experienced abandonment and rejection in some form….from parents, siblings, employers, spouses, children, and friends.

Depending on who has hurt us, the wounds can be deep and long-lasting. The same person may harm us over and over again causing us to wonder if we will ever heal.

Lysa Terkeurst, in her book, “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget“, describes it like this…

“The greatest hell a human can experience here on earth is not suffering.

It’s feeling like the suffering is pointless and it will never get any better.”

What are we to do, us, the walking wounded? We walk with an emotional limp, our feet drag, our arms feel heavy and we can’t seem to find the strength to do the simplest of tasks. Our vision is blurred by our tears, our thinking is jumbled and disjointed, our minds are mired in confusion.

We feel like we are drowning in our pain and our sorrow.

Have you been there? Have you found yourself doubled over from an emotional gut-punch or two?

I ponder again…”What are we, the walking wounded, to do? Where do we turn? Booze? Drugs? Busyness? Sex? Religious activity? Food?

I became a disciple of Jesus Christ at 18. I was one confused, wounded, young woman. Being raised in an alcoholic home scarred my soul and had embedded dysfunction into my behaviors and thinking.

You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way,
and in kindness you follow behind me
to spare me from the harm of my past.
With your hand of love upon my life,
you impart a blessing to me. Psalm 139:5 TPT

At 18 years of age, I heard the Good News, the Gospel…..I was loved, forgiven, washed clean, empowered, holy, accepted unconditionally. No performance, church membership, or hoop jumping necessary to be welcomed by the King of Heaven and Earth. My adoption into God’s family was a free gift and all I had to do was accept it, unwrap it, and put on my new identity as His child saved by grace and mercy.

And you did not receive the “spirit of religious duty,” leading you back into the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as He rises up within us, our spirits join Him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Father!” Romans 8:15 TPT

I have been a disciple of Jesus for over four decades now….yes, I’m old:) I have read the above scripture from Romans, and others like it, more times than I can count or remember. I knew the truth of the scripture, but only within the last couple of years did it become alive to me.

Have you ever seen a little child step into their parents shoes and try to walk in them? They fall, stumble, walk right out of the shoes. I think that’s how I am sometimes with the truths in God’s word….I have to grow into them to be able to walk with the authority and confidence in who He has created me to be.

I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing when God and I had the conversation about my spiritual adoption and it’s reality and fullness in my life. Ask me when you see me and I will joyfully tell you my adoption story.

I stepped into my big girl shoes that day. I stepped into the assurance of my identity as a Daughter of the Most High God. I am chosen, holy, righteous, wanted, honored, welcomed, cherished…..

And the same is true for you. I want you to get up every morning and go to bed every night knowing how much your Father God loves you and accepts you, regardless of who has rejected and abandoned you and what lies have been spoken over you.

He welcomes you into His presence with open arms. He wants nothing more than to sit and talk with you about your life, your fears, and your dreams….that is the simplicity of prayer.

You are imprinted on the hands of Jesus…..He sits in “It is finished” victory beside our Father in heaven and He still bears the scars of His crucifixion….the price He paid to buy you back from the powers of darkness, death, and sin.

You saw who You created me to be before I became me!
Before I’d ever seen the light of day,
the number of days You planned for me
were already recorded in Your book.
Every single moment You are thinking of me!
How precious and wonderful to consider
that You cherish me constantly in Your every thought!
O God, Your desires toward me are more
than the grains of sand on every shore!
When I awake each morning, You’re still with me. Psalm 139:16-18 TPT