we frequently give such sentiments of caution to our young adult children because, at our age, we have more wisdom and experience to know potential problems before they occur. We caution and encourage because we want the best for our children. As I considered a verbal exchange with our son, I sensed God sharing, “It’s the same with me.” “Excuse me?” I answered silently in prayer….
Every year, 45,000 Americans die by suicide. And for every completed suicide, there are 25 more unsuccessful attempts. That’s over 1 million suicide attempts in the U.S. every year! Through my own physical illness and descent into depression’s valley, I came to realize that even Christians get depressed and consider suicide.
“I want what you have,” she declared as she stared deep into my soul with her searching eyes.
I was a bit taken aback. “Excuse me?” What I really meant was, “What do you mean?”
“You’re always so full of joy. I can see it in your eyes.”
I’ve heard similar sentiments many times over in the last few years, and often it brings me to tears…tears of joy.
Have you ever longed for someone, maybe even God, to speak encouragement straight to your heart? Have you ever needed to know that despite the pain, despite the heartache, that God saw you?
If we were honest, I think we’ve all been there. We’ve all had those times when the weight of our daily lives threatened to pull us under, and we just needed to hear we weren’t alone, we were seen, and that God still had our backs.
I’ve been there many times, and as I look back, I’m so grateful for the encouragers God brought along my path to speak His truth and encouragement and bring hope to the situation. That’s why I’m excited to share with you my friend, and fellow encourager, Debbie Kitterman, with you today for her to share her gift of encouragement with you. You might remember I recently shared a post from her called “The Reluctant Encourager.” There’s a Book Giveaway so be sure to read to the end!
Do you ever struggle with the “if it’s going to be, it’s up to me” mentality? Do you ever find yourself striving for the approval of others, even God, by trying to do enough, be good enough, accomplish enough?
For many years, that could have been my autobiography. Until I became deathly ill and could suddenly do nothing but exist. During that time, God gently showed me that He didn’t love me because of what I did or didn’t do, but because I was His daughter. That was a life-changer for me!
As a result, I’m thrilled to introduce you to my friend, Katie Reid, who is going to share with you her revelations with respect to this. I know you’ll be blessed!
Have you ever been in a painful place and wondered where God was in the midst of it all? Have you ever found yourself smack dab in the middle of the valley and wondered what to do about it or if anyone cared? Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to my friend, Lyli Dunbar, who shares her experience as an encouragement to you in that place. Lyli is an encourager and a prayer warrior at heart. I know you’ll be blessed by her post.
