I am so overwhelmed by our Lord's blessing on you - and by this blessing upon you, so many countless others will be blessed.
Side note: Clair de Lune is absolutely my favorite piano piece. Period. In fact, it has long been a desire to one day be able to play that piece. Hhhmmmm... I think I need a piano. :)
I encountered Jesus as a young child in a church pew in the balcony of an old country church. Through a lifetime of trial, I knew he was there. I did not always know or understand what he wanted of me, but I knew I was wanted. We could go through all of the pain and abuse of my life and unpack each tiny detail, but that is not what this is really about. I love what Frederick Buechner said, “Pain is not the biggest thing that has ever happened to you.” That is true. I have beheld far greater glory. As I clung to his word through all of this, I knew he was there. My story about trying begins long before I began trying to have children. I tell you this because almost half of the population has been abused in some way. The attack on my uterus began when I was four-years-old. I spent most of my life believing that I was broken and I was crippled by shame. I carried that shame into every relationship I had. As I encountered people in the church, I never felt safe enough to ask for...
My story involves 6 miscarried babies (with a set of twins I went into early labor with to bury), 4 failed adoptions, 3 sibling deaths, abuse, infertility, and loads of trauma. Jesus took it all and made the things that should bring death usher in healing. My dear friend Emily took my story and placed it in the pages of her book. If you are struggling today, you’re not alone. Raising children is hard. Not having children to raise is hard. Losing children is hard. I want you to know that you are not alone. No matter how much the enemy of our souls wants us to feel isolated, God has given us community. The beautiful thing about suffering in the hand of Christ is that it makes us vulnerable in the places we have built walls. We can all take a collective, soulful breath and know we reside in a kingdom community that awaits our honest pain. You can read my story and others in Trying. Now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xXGV6S
Are you wanting your brain to form new, healthy pathways already? You are on the way to your brave future and your brain wants to travel in a familiar rut. It’s quite a bit of work to help your brain know that it is safe to operate in a new way. I’ve been paving a literal path in my back yard. It gives such a great visual because you can see that you aren’t just laying down stones and walking. There’s ground to break up, roots to pull out, and a new sand base to be laid. I’ve had to chisel and break pavers to fit the path. There is a process of creating stability that involves repeated removing and replacing of stones. We do this in our healing journey. Sometimes, the removing can feel as though our chest is on fire. The great and beautiful news is that we do not do this alone. God puts a fire in our bones that makes us long for healing. Reading scripture gives us strength, stamina, and comfort for the long days of work. We can rest in God’s presence along the way. Simply st...
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Side note: Clair de Lune is absolutely my favorite piano piece. Period. In fact, it has long been a desire to one day be able to play that piece. Hhhmmmm... I think I need a piano. :)
Much love,
Tiff