Dear Vanessa ~ The Power Within

the power withinWe are complex creatures - we live, we love, we feel, we work, and we endure.     Underneath each beautifully made human being are hurts, joy, and a mixture of moments that have built us to be who we are.     We are a masterpiece, each of us is beautifully made, and the artist who created us is beyond all comprehension.   He empowers each one of us with his love.

I believe He made us to discover that love is the center of all being and life. We all share an interconnection of love.   While our journey of love may be different, we are all here to experience this intense feeling that is driven by Him.  

Everything starts and finishes with Love.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)

We have been empowered by God through this verse.   He loved us so much that he gave his only son. Could you imagine doing the same?   How heart wrenching that feeling would have been?  But it was based on the love He had for us, because He knew that through love our lives would be restored.    

As I try to imagine what this would have felt like, I also feel overpowered with gratitude.  

But how can I pay you back Lord for all that you have done for me not only through this action, but by giving me the gift of life?

I sit and wait, and listen, and the words come back to me – through love.

Yes Lord, through love.   You have empowered me through my experiences to give love and to show Your face through my actions.    

We all have this power within. Can you imagine – what if each one of us as we went through our day showed grace and love in all of our interactions?   Let me walk you through what a day like that could look like:

  • You start your day with prayer and ask God to help you motivate the kids in the morning while keeping your cool. You also ask God to heal your weaknesses and allow him to work through your strengths.
  • The kids wake up, the lunches are made, and you make it out the door with a couple of kisses and smiling faces. There were a few moments where you had to pause and pray but overall things went well.
  • On the drive to work you choose to start the day with prayer and ask God to guide your actions and reactions throughout the day. You give thanks for all of the love in your life, and trust that He is going to watch over them all today.
  • You pop by your favorite coffee store, you greet the clerk on the other side of the counter with a smile and thank them so much for making your special coffee for the day – it made your day!
  • You enter your work day with a smile and say good morning to all those you encounter.  
  • You notice someone in the office who doesn’t look like themselves today – you decide to pop by and start a conversation and gently ask them if they are ok.
  • As the day goes on you encounter moments where there is resistance, or issues that percolate – you ask yourself if you really need to control the outcome? You pause and say a little prayer. You decide to be open to what is to happen, and handle each situation by listening and responding in grace.
  • You leave the office and feel depleted, and begin to pray again and ask God for a little more energy so you can truly be present with the wonderful gifts he has given you in your life whether it is your friends, family, your children or husband.  
  • You open the door to your house and there is loud noise and smiles, you feel a sense of calm flood your body and start the evening with a smile.
  • As the evening goes on your patience is beginning to wear, you pause and pray and ask God to help you muster up some patience within. You lay down with your little monkeys and tuck them into bed.

Finally, as the day ends, as your head hits the pillow, you clearly see how He had empowered you throughout the day. What was the common thread?

He empowered you with His love, His grace, and through prayer with reliance on Him.   It took a few moments throughout the day to pause and pray, but everything worked out.   He allowed you to show love through all of your actions because you leaned on Him.

I know this is possible because on the days where I forget to start the day off with prayer, they seem to go sideways.

Dear Lord God,

Thank-you for empowering me with prayer and your love.   I pray that I lean not on my understanding in situations that I look to you when life seems difficult. Help me to show love to others in all that I do. Thank-you Lord for all that you have done for us. I pray for this in Jesus Name Amen.

May you be blessed my friends,

Vanessa

www.nesschesters.wordpress.com

 

2 responses to “Dear Vanessa ~ The Power Within

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