Originally published Wednesday, 17 February 2016.
You know her. She is strong and resilient. She loves so big and fully, with her eyes on the finish line of eternity. She speaks up about her struggle first so that others won’t be afraid to speak up about their own. She doesn’t hold back. She gives every bit of her heart to the things that break the heart of her Heavenly Father. She loves the least, the marginalized, the weary, and the forgotten. They are precious to her because they are precious to Jesus.
She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.” ~Proverbs 31:20
She loves those who may not love back, because Jesus loved her first. She forgives without fear of being hurt again, because He first loved us. She is brave with her life so that others can be brave with theirs. I know her too. She is the woman I long to be.
She is the definition of real beauty because she has hidden His word in her heart. There is a light within her that shines more radiantly than the sleekest hair, best nail color, or trending fashions. Her Savior’s love is her true beauty. The words of the Lord direct and redirect her again and again. The truth of scripture drives her to live beautifully free like it is her divine superpower, because Jesus is her true strength.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” ~Psalm 119:105
She can get her hands dirty, as she jumps into the broken pieces of someone else’s life because she knows the heart of the mighty Rescuer. She doesn’t run from pain. She leans into the broken place. She calls it what it is. She knows of the schemes of the enemy. She whispers the name of her Redeemer again and again, knowing the enemy will flee at the sound of Jesus’ name. Jesus. He is the King of her heart. She embraces the refining fire of sanctification knowing that Jesus brings joy in the morning. Sometimes the pain is changing her, stripping her of the old bondage. She belongs to the only One who turns a mess of ashes into true beauty. She hears His voice and believes His truth in the midst of tribulation. She seeks Him in the darkness.
And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ~Revelation 21:5
All things new. Trustworthy words.
She is courageous because of His perfect peace. She isn’t afraid of the unknown future because her hope rests in the hands of a Sovereign God. She is free. She is free to dance. She is free to smile or to cry. She isn’t bound by perfectionism, worry, or fear because Jesus has broken every chain. She has been set free from all bondage by His amazing grace. Neither death nor guilt weigh her heart for too long. She knows the pain of this life is temporary and fleeting, for nothing can separate her from the love of Christ. She is free to laugh with hope. Brave and free; all because of her Savior.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” ~Proverbs 31:25
Laughter. May we be women of brave laughter, peaceful hearts, courageous faith, and bold freedom. May we know the power in the name of Jesus. Jesus has set us free. May our lives tell this story again and again. We are no longer slaves to sin and death, rather we are the daughters of Christ. May our lives be living testimonies to the merciful grace of God. We are His creations. He is making us new. His loving kindness draws us again and again to redemption, reconciliation, and perfect love. May we walk boldly in the way of freedom with exuberant joy in our hearts!
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” ~Galatians 5:1
May we trust our lives in the hands of our perfectly faithful God. May we embrace each day with hope because He is the creative author of our life stories. May His incomparable grace and unconditional love flow from His truth to our hearts and into the hearts and lives of those around us.
Because of Jesus? Sweet sisters, we can be brave and free.
From my heart to yours, ~Courtney
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