No one would have ever known if I didn’t share my real heart’s desire…at first, I didn’t even know what was my deepest heart’s desire.
A friend had invited me to her “Bucket List” party, where she encourages the participants to have a no-limits chance to dream about our deepest heart’s desires. Encouraged to write down 10 things that would make this the best year ever if they came true, some jotted down travels, still others allowed their hopes for creative pursuits to flourish, and others desired a return to a more simplified life.
My list initially included items like enjoying the company of my children without the nag of work in my ear, and the opportunity for more speaking engagements to share help and hope from my personal and professional experience.
The hostess then selectively called on those gathered one by one, to share their most heart-felt item from their list. I wasn’t asked to share, and I was content with that—being surrounded by beautifully put-together women whom I’d just met, I wasn’t too sure how my list might be received.
As one gal shared of her desire to remodel her condominium, to create a beautiful space around her, I felt a prompting. “What you want is beautiful too – Go ahead and write it” was what I sensed welling up in me. Yet before I could even process it, my thoughts retorted, “They will all think you are so shallow.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the desire of your heart except that you’ve given up on it” was what I “heard” as I stared at my paper.
I had given up on it…so much so that it didn’t even register in my mind as a consideration for my list. It was as if I had begun to believe if God wanted my desires fulfilled, surely He would have provided already. But was that the truth or another sneaky lie of the enemy? It sounded vaguely familiar: “Surely God did not tell you to not eat of the fruit…”
A tear threatened to wreak havoc on my makeup as it escaped and ran down my cheek. Quick to wipe it away so no one would notice, I stared at my list with my heart beginning to beat faster. There would be no forgetting it now, as the pain of unfulfilled desires lodged a knot in my throat.
Writing it down allowed me to give that longing the respect and acknowledgement it deserved, even if no one else ever knew.
“Michelle, what’s #2 on your list?” My friend looked at me with expectant eyes, as the single tear turned into a quiet cascade running down my cheeks.
Barely above a whisper, I made my heart’s desire known to this group of onlookers: “Beautiful Shoes.”
None of them understood, so it begged for explanation:
Stricken with an undiagnosable illness when I was three left me with deformities of my leg and foot. While one leg and foot are completely normal and a woman’s size 6 shoe, the other foot looks like the feet of Asian women whose feet have been bound to stay small, and fits a small girl’s size 12-13. Left without any movement of my ankle or toes, I cannot wear beautiful high heels or fun flip-flops.
I’ve never found it fun to shoe-shop, and because of incredible difficulty finding shoes to fit both feet, we refer to it as shoe hunting. Over the years I luckily found several mismatched pairs to wear, but surgery in recent years changed the structure of that foot, and left me without.
Having now just exposed not only my most heart-felt desire, but also my greatest flaw and biggest insecurity, I glanced through my tears at this group of women listening to me. They didn’t laugh or stare or gawk. They prayed and confirmed they wanted it for me too.
My heart quickened as one shared with me a verse the Lord laid on her heart for me:
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
Isaiah 52:7 NIV
The Lord had given me that same verse through the encouraging words of another friend right after my surgery when my heart felt broken and despairing. One day I will wear beautiful shoes!
As I listened to the others share from their innermost desires, a couple things are clear:
- We all have insecurities and the enemy uses those insecurities to keep us focused on ourselves and to keep us from fully embracing God’s call on our lives.
- At our deepest core, we all long to be loved and accepted.
- When we stop dreaming, we stop hoping.
- God wants to know our deepest longings, and as long as we have Him, we still have hope.
What dreams do you need to resurrect and bring to Him today?
Because of Him,
#HopePrevails!
(If you have a question you’d like Dr. B to answer, contact her here now. Your name and identity will be kept confidential.)
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Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression and the new companion Hope Prevails Bible Study help the reader understand: how depression comes to be, recover their joy, reclaim their peace, and re-establish their true identity, while knowing their worth, remembering their secure destiny, and being confident that nothing separates them from God’s love.
I loved this so much that I just linked it to my post tomorrow called “Transitions”. It has a similar theme. I hope everyone reads Our Hearts Desire.
Thank you Sweet Jayna. It’s probably my most vulnerable post ever…sharing not just heart transformation but my own physical flaws and emotional insecurities. But, we all have them, don’t we? And by not sharing them, we all think we are the only ones. And in sharing them, we remember we already have victory because of Jesus! I pray your readers will be blessed.
Thanks for your transparency. It’s so helpful to others 🙂
Precious truth that every woman can relate to. No matter what our insecurities are, God can use them to draw us close and speak His truth to others.
Thank you Jeanne! We all have our insecurities about something. But the truth is, He looks at each of us and sees our beauty inside and out because we are His workmanship, created in His image. What an encouragement that can be if we will only receive it.
This is a wonderful post !!! I loved your transparency. We all know that kind of longing for something we think we can’t have. You have such a beautiful way of saying things simply that speak right to the heart. Thank you so much for sharing this – my heart just got a little bigger……and bolder.
Oh Beautiful Debra, I don’t know how your heart could get bigger. Your encouragement spurs to me to want to take the next step to bring greater help and hope to all who need it. And YES, I did say the next “step!” 🙂
Thank you for this insightful truth ! A beautiful testimony about “the feet of those” …….My friend Marie, loved to tell everyone about the “Good News” of Jesus. She also had and loved her many pairs of shoes. Then diabetes began to change the shape of her feet, also causing the bones in her feet to break, nerve damage and severe pain. In her younger days, she loved to dance………when she lay dying, I felt the LORD whisper “dancing shoes.” I found a pair of vintage, off white dancing shoes. I wrote a note, telling her the shoes were for her to dance with her mother-in-law in heaven. I rolled the note, tied it with a ribbon, tucked it into one of the shoes and brought them to her. Though she was unable to speak, her eyes said it all. She beamed and nodded, as tears streamed down her face.
Michelle, the LORD looks on the heart, but He loves shoes…….
Jan Bergeron
Jan, you are the kind of friend any woman would be blessed to have. Clearly you look beyond the physical and you look into the heart. My feet may not be beautiful by earthly standards, but I look forward to dancing with Jesus one day…shoes or no shoes!
Thank you for including us in your experience and discovery. The Lord will have a pair of beautiful shoes for you in your heavenly mansion for He will want to dance with you in the celebration of all that you do to bring God glory. You always stand tall in my eyes.
Shine on!
What a beautiful picture you always paint with your words Carolyn. I imagine “dancing with my Father God in field of grace”. What a joyful celebration that will be with all our brothers and sisters in Christ!…Truly a day when insecurities melt away and we step into the fullness of glory with Him.
Your words brought tears to my eyes. I’m praying for the courage to put my dreams on paper. Hugs to you my friend!
Kim, I will pray for you to do just that. The Lord gave me the theme “Boldly Courageous” this year, and I’m finding that that is all about trust. Pushing “publish” on this blog post was a step in that direction. If He brings you to it, He WILL bring you through it. He who began a good work in us will be faithful to see it through to completion.
Thank you for being so honest in this post. We all have our insecurities as you said but we have to turn to Him to help us work through our imperfections. Satan convinces many of us that we are unworthy or useless or just less than the next person. Stand strong in His Word. He is all we have, my friend.
You are so right Mary. I’m thankful that not only is He all we have, but He is all we need!!
Beautiful, Michelle!
Thank you Becky. Just keeping it real.
Love you Michelle! This is perfect for me today!
That blesses me Diane! I love how God uses something someone wrote to meet someone else on another day! Hugs!
Have been having several business conversations lately about dreams and why’s and came to realize, not sure when it happened, but I’ve lost my dreams. I’ve just been on autopilot. I’m sure they are there; just buried. Thank you sharing such a beautiful part of you and reminding me that’s not what God wants for me…. He wants me to dream and dream BIG!
He will show you those dreams, for He is the giver of all good things including God-sized dreams. Sometimes we shelve our dreams, but just as He did for me, He can do for you and help you uncover your shelved dream and embrace not only your dream again, but also His desire to see your dreams come to pass!
Michelle, I love this post. It’s beautiful and raw. It speaks to me too because most of my life I felt that all the “good stuff” was for other people…trips, beauty, prosperity, healthy marriage. I settled because for some reason I didn’t believe I was worthy. I had dreams, big ones, but figured that’s all they’d ever be. I had an epiphany this past autumn and as a result, took hold of a big dream and just returned from my bucket list trip to Europe with my daughter. It was something that I thought might happen “someday” if I was lucky. But it happened “now”, in a hurry, quite unexpectedly in a way I wouldn’t have expected God to provide. This opened many doors of new thinking and believing for good things and claiming them! God is so good.
Melanie, your comment here sent goosebumps running down my arms! I’m so glad God surprised you with the fulfillment of your dreams. His ways are so much higher than our ways. I’ll be excited to watch and see what new dreams you allow yourself to dream with Him, and how He brings them to pass!
I can so relate to this on many levels. Insecurities plague most when they are willing to admit it. I look forward to the day when all inner turmoil ceases. For now, it drives me to Jesus!
And dreams. I’m nursing a few. Thanks for reminding me of them.
Every struggle is unique. We have something in common. Although for different reasons we both are forced to go “shoe hunting.” And its not fun like most peoole think it woukd be.
I spent 14 years in a cast because of infection. Obviously, I got used to wearing one shoe but I can’t say I liked it. Then, a few years ago I finally worked my way out of the cast. I’m sure God had much to do with it. My left foot has suffered and my ankle is fused in an awkward position. I need more surgeries to get it flat on the floor if that is humanly possible. I haven’t begun to deal with it yet. I’m not ready for casts again.
There are very few shoes that I can get on at all. And those I can wear are basic tennis shoes. When I got out of that cast, which was no small feat, I didn’t realize the new challenge I’d face. It made me wonder why things happened as they did.
Your words remind me that I must never quite believing that dreams come true. Hopes deferred aren’t necessarily dreams denied. I forget that sometimes when my eyes go to the smaller picture rather than the big one.
Thanks for your vulnerability. I needed this reminder. It is an “on time word.”
Melinda, I can hear the disappointment in your words, and I can relate to that…oh how I have been there. But in His grace and mercy, He is teaching me to trust that His ways truly are higher than our ways, and He truly does work ALL things together for our good – even when it doesn’t look like we think it will or should. Please don’t stop hoping – Hope deferred makes a heart sick. The Creator of the Universe loves you and your foot! I will be praying for you!
What a beautiful post Michelle. You did a terrific job in expressing the way you have held onto those painful feelings of insecurity and the freedom you found through friends and the faith you have in God. For me, it’s pursuing a writing career. Thanks for allowing me to experience your life in such a touching way.
Walter, I appreciate your encouragement. God has plans, dreams, desires for each of us, and they are for good. They are for a future and a hope. Hold on to the hope that He offers! He who began a good work in you will see it through to completion!
This brings tears to my eyes. Of course it’s not shallow! I think God created in us a desire to be beautiful because that is how we’ll be in heaven. I’m glad the women there lifted you up in encouragement and prayer. 🙂
Thank you Sweet One. The interesting thing is what God does in our hearts. My desire now is that this will encourage others to not let their insecurities hold them back. When our security is in Him, we have nothing to fear. Blessings.
Michelle – I am another one who does not wear beautiful shoes. Where do I shop? Orthopedic Appliances – just the name tells a bit about my shoes! I need a 2 inch lift on my right shoe due to an accident that forever changed my life. What I learned over the years – I am more than a broken body. My disability does limit me, but God’s transforming love embraces me to overcome challenges and rest in His plan for my life. Blessings!
Maureen, how true, “I am more than a broken body!” Amen! I love your positive perspective!
I loved your post. I have ugly feet too. They are deformed and I really can’t wear high heels. When I wear open toe sandals I am always aware of my ugly toes and am convinced everyone sees them. Thank you for your encouragement to hold on to those dreams.
Debbie, I hope you will take comfort from this post that despite what we see as “ugly” within ourselves, God sees as beautiful!
Michelle, I love seeing you and your posts on FB and just ran across this article. Beautifully written, so transparent, and relational for so many. We all those “mind-binding spirits” that Joyce Meyer refers to in her book by same name. What I find so amazing is as Christians we are often still blinded by the distractions they inflict and truly bind us from forging ahead – in whatever kind of “shoes” we are wearing. Reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and searching out scriptures for each chapter to negate what Satan wants me to believe. I am learning so much about God’s truth. Thank you. Keep writing!
Thanks for your encouragement! You speak truth Marcia…we all believe lies that distract and blind us from God’s truth. Praise God that you are searching out scriptures to negate what satan wants you to believe. He can’t stand that!
I especially love “when we stop dreaming, we stop hoping” – very great article!
Thank you Clare! I hope you will continue to dream!
This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing such a vulnerable desire with us. God has given those desires because you delight in Him.
I appreciate that Gema. My purpose in sharing was not to draw attention to myself, but to hopefully encourage others who have their own insecurities. I pray He uses this to accomplish that purpose and draw others to Him.
You expressed this really well, Dr. Michelle. I could feel your pain, sitting there! I have a similar affinity though, as I imagine many women do. 🙂 You are not alone! Thank you for your openness and inspiration!
I appreciate your kind words Kristi. I’m so grateful for all of the beauty God gives around us to enjoy, including beautiful hearts of women like you.
What a beautiful post. It made me tear up. I also really like your friends idea for the bucket list activity. I host a “girls night in” for some of my friends every so often. That would be a perfect thing to do with them.
You never know what you may find out about your friends that you didn’t know before Amy! I’d love to hear about your experiences. Blessings.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot, lately. Back and forth from go ahead, to it’s just too late….from why not? to it’s so unimportant in the scheme of things….and some of it I just cannot articulate….thank you for sharing yourself with us….
Oh Debbie, it’s never too late to pursue a dream with God. As long as we have breath He has a purpose and a plan for us, which is intimately tied to the dreams He instills in our hearts. Open yourself up to the possibilities, believing that He who began a good work in you will see it through to completion!
It’s often so hard to be transparent but the walls often crumble when we do. Thank you for sharing your most heartfelt desire and tearing down those walls.
Maria, it’s in tearing down the walls that God’s light can permeate the darkness that kept us held captive. I pray it encourages more women to do the same. Blessings to you.
Dear Michelle – thank you for sharing this – like so many others have noted, the raw honesty touches a core in many (if not all) of us. So many times I grow discouraged after praying for something for a long time and not “seeing” the results, I too can give up. Your words provide encouragement to carry on. We had 3 sons with terminal illnesses and all of them had feet issues that made wearing shoes nearly impossible. They had to wear stretchy slippers til the day they died. I often imagine them dancing in heaven. Now, thanks to your post, I can imagine all of us dancing in the fields of grace, casting aside all of our insecurities and imperfections – what a glorious image!
Sue, what a glorious day that will be when we all see Jesus face to face, with perfect new bodies, no longer bound by the insecurities of our imperfection. I know you miss your sons terribly. I’m glad this image can bring at least a moment of encouragement to your beautiful mother’s heart today.
I admit that I have desires that I have allowed to remain dormant to the point I will not speak of them and others are repressed. I was both convicted and encouraged by your post. Praying to God for courage to ask for my heart’s desire.
That’s the thing Kim, God already knows. He’s the one who nudged me to write mine down on that list. He’s the one who nudged me to share it with a group of strangers. He’s the one who nudged me to share it with my blog readers. And He’s the one who nudged you to read this blog today. Truth is, He’s the only one who can make most of our dreams come true, and make most of our insecurities go away. But He won’t take them from us…He wants us to give them to Him. I’m praying you’ll courageously do that, and watch Him do more than you can think or imagine, just as He promises in His word that He will do.
oh Michelle, how I just want to hug you! Your story touched my heart so deeply! Satan loves to destroy and distract. He knows right where to hit us. Thank you for being so honest and vulnerable, and might I say that I feel a closet full of heels in heaven waiting for you. Love!
I would take your hugs Devonne! A good hug is better than a great pair of shoes! Yes, satan knows how to throw a low blow, and when he can keep our insecurities and dreams in the dark, he has more power. So my hope in sharing my story is that by bringing it into the light, it would encourage others to trust our Heavenly Father with those things closest to their hearts. Thanks for your heart-felt encouragement! I look forward to admiring your heavenly shoes.
Thanks for sharing, Michelle. I, too, find myself doubting that God wants to bless me with something precious or beautiful. After all, He has known my dreams for so long and has chosen not to fulfill them. Trying to trust and not give up on Him and keep hoping, sometimes seems like the biggest struggle.
Renee, I know the struggle I’ve had. I don’t know if yours is similar, but I’m realizing that God delights when we surrender what we want to Him. Then He either fulfills those wants, or He replaces them with even better. What He wants for us is always good. He isn’t a God of deprivation. But sometimes, at least for me, I can spend more time wanting what I want more than I want Him. Keep trusting, keep hoping Renee, and keep surrendering my dear sister. Hope Prevails!
Thank you Michelle for “taking your shoes off”! I haven’t known you long, but I love your willingness to be real to encourage others to get real too! I’m all for barefoot!!
Thanks for the sweet encouragement Kathy! It’s in our willingness to be real that the enemy is crushed under our feet…barefoot or high heeled! Stay tuned, if God ordains it, you’ll be seeing barefoot coming your way! 😉
A beautiful post. Just beautiful. It’s going on my blog round up.
Thanks for the encouragement Aimee! What a blessing that is to me. I pray it will encourage your readers to take both their deepest insecurities and their heartfelt dreams to the Father who gives all good things! Hope Prevails!
What a lovely thought! I adore the sketch. It was God alone who knelt in a towel to wash his disciples feet and it is He who will redeem our broken bodies.
He is Our Great Physician Helene! And what I love is that not only does He redeem our broken bodies, He heals our hearts. Sometimes that’s just as much, if not more important. Blessings.
Wonderful post – thank you for sharing your heart at the Grace & Truth Linkup 🙂
Thank you Ruth. It’s my honor! Hope Prevails because of Him! That’s all about grace and truth!
I love the idea of having a bucket list party. And having the ability to share with other women. Thank you so much for sharing this and linking up at #HomeMattersParty
It was an unusual, but fun experience Melissa! A great way to get to know the hearts of others!
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your vulnerability here. It is so precious, but more than that, you touch on something so concretely that we each struggle with. Thank you for encouraging us to resurrect the dreams we think are impossible. All things are possible with Him! So beautiful! Blessings!
Your encouragement is a blessing Bonnie Lyn! Yes, it is something we all struggle with. But He is the one who gives us our dreams, our desires, our call, and He is the one who will see it through to completion.
Thank you Michelle for sharing such a personal story. I know that it rings true in so many of our hearts. It is easy to stop dreaming and hoping, especially in the dark seasons of life. Thank you also for sharing it with us over on last weeks Simply Inspired Link up – it will be one of our featured post tomorrow. I hope you stop by again and share with us. Blessings to you – ~Victoria @SimplifiedLife.net
Victoria, I am truly honored! Thanks for your encouragement and your feature. It’s my hope that by sharing my story, others will be more willing to take both their insecurities and their dreams to the Father who cares just as much for them!
This is beautiful. One day you will indeed have your pair of beautiful shoes. And your feet are already beautiful because they do carry the message of hope and love to others. Thanks for sharing and linking with Grace and Truth.
Oh Sweet Arabah Joy, more than beautiful shoes, I will have a handsome King of Kings to dance with in Heavenly places. And while I am here on this earth I will tell of all He has done for me. Thanks for your encouragement!
Thank you so much for sharing this lovely story with everyone. You are so right about what we feel and want and not even asking God any longer. I have to remind myself over and over, that through God we can do anything. Someday you will have those shoes. I always think of the song I Can Only Imagine. The refrain is:
Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for your Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
Maybe you will get to wear them here and also dance before Jesus in them.
I believe in miraculous healing from God. Nothing is impossible in this world. Your foot may still be fixed. Praying for you.
Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesday’s Adorned From Above Link Party.
Have a great week.
Debi
Debi, I too believe in miraculous healing from God. Because of Him nothing is impossible. And it’s because of Him that I was able to share my story in hopes of encouraging others to take their insecurities and their desires before Him, for truly He cares for them. Thanks for your sweet encouragement!
How did I miss this beautiful post? Oh sweet friend, I am one who loves beautiful shoes…and I am fortunate to still be able to wear a variety of shoes, heels, flip flops, boots…however they can’t be cheaply made shoes because those just hurt. I can so imagine the hearts desire to wear beautiful shoes. I pray that God will give you your heart’s desire. But you must know that in God’s eyes your feet are indeed beautiful because you so freely share your heart for God to encourage others and to infuse new hope into their lives.
I also have to tell you that as I first began reading this post I was thinking that your heart’s desire on that bucket list was writing your book…and while it may have been one of the items on your list…it hit me that it most definitely is my heart’s desire. I do indeed need to get this book written. Thanks for the reminder that I, too, have dreams and I need to keep dreaming and hoping!
Love you friend!
Sweet Gay, your words bring delight to an already joy-filled heart. It is another of my heart’s desires that my small step of obedience in sharing my story will in fact encourage others to take their insecurities and their dreams to the Father who gives all good things. I’m thrilled to hear that this post has reminded you of your dream. I believe in you and can’t wait for you to get your words on paper. But more importantly, He has given you a message to share and He will equip you to do so. If you need any help along the way, you know where to find me! Much Love to you!
A beautifully written piece with an equally beautiful point. Grateful for your vulnerability and willingness to share your insecurity. A great reminder for me to not take things for granted – even shoes.
Thank you for your kind words Marvae. It is by the word of our testimony of the things God does in our own lives that encourages others in their struggles. It is my prayer that this post does that for others. Enjoy all the good things He has blessed you with, including your shoes <3
Don’t you know, my darling, the Lord has allowed your foot for His beautiful purposes? Don’t you know that your special needs foot will take your places you otherwise could have not traversed? And don’t you know that in your weakness the Lord is strong and in your vulnerability He has become your all? Oh, blessed peace to be the one whom Jesus loves because you have learned in the night seasons to lay your head upon His breast as did the Apostle John…the disciple whom Jesus loved! I live you! Margie
Oh sweet Margie, how your words of encouragement bless me and bring joy to my heart. You always see the beautiful artistry that the Lord has created from our brokenness. I look forward to seeing you on the front row when He blesses me with the opportunity to share my story about walking in freedom because of Him!
How beautiful. I’m speechless. As I sit here staring at my screen, slowly my heart is moving me to say more. Thank you for such a deep and meaningful post. The verse isn’t one I’ve read closely before, but I love how perfectly it fits you. Imagine it. I’ve never met you or heard of you before this morning. Debi at “Adorned from Above” provided a link to your post, and I’m so blessed. Writing is self-exposing, and you have the unique gift of writing with honesty, candor, clarity, and openness. I don’t know you personally, but it’s clear to me that you do bring good news of peace and salvation, proclaiming through your blog “Our God Reigns!” Your words are beautiful, as are your feet. They (your words and feet) are His perfect plan for your life, creating the beautiful you!
Blessings~
Kim
Sweet Kim, your kind, encouraging words bring tears of joy this morning. He has called me to be boldly courageous in sharing my story, and doing that requires risk and trust. But there is also the reward of knowing I have been obedient in my vulnerability. Then he blesses me with your sweet words of affirmation. Thank you, from the bottom of my feet to the depths of my heart!
You’re a gem. 🙂
How beautifully, clearly, and poignantly you share this part of your heart and your story. Yes, we all have our insecurities, and I am strengthened by the truths you share about insecurity. How exciting to see how God is using your challenge to encourage many!
Thank you Ginger. It’s my hope that others will see that if God is faithful to turn my ashes into beauty, He will do it for others as well. Blessings.
God had this post for me this evening. It is so true…we all have those insecurities in our lives that could hold us back from God’s plan. Thanks for your honesty. Blessings…<…Cathy
Oh Cathy, God is so good to provide encouragement when we need it. We all have insecurities, but they are the perfect chance for God to show His everlasting love. He loves you!
This is beautiful! God is so good! Wonderful post!
Thank you for your kind words Tricia! I hope you’ll stop by again.
This is such an amazing story, God is amazing! I am so moved by Him pushing you to share. So often we think our desires do not matter to Him, but the inner man is what He cares of most, our most inner deepest desires and thoughts are almost seeds that He has planted to give us a hope and vision for our future. Allowing us to desire more, to want to be filled with something more. I am teaching a class on purpose tomorrow and this just stirred me up! Thanks so much for being vulnerable and sharing your heart! http://www.spoonfuloffaith.com/ecourse
Your kind words encourage and bless me. I’m thankful that God used my story to stir you up. It’s my prayer that my testimony encourages others to bring their dreams and insecurities to the Father.
Such beautiful truths! I love that we have a God who wants us to have the desires of our hearts!
Britt, our God loves to give us His desires and then see them through! Thanks for stopping by!
Dr Michelle,
I had thought I’d commented on this, but I don’t see it.
I wanted to let you know two things: When I see your name on the Grace & Truth link-up, I smile. I smile because you are always so eloquent and so elegant. So sweet and sincere. And so full of grace and joy.
And secondly, this post brought tears to my eyes (both times) and touches my heart. I appreciate your vulnerability to be able to share with us. You will dance with beautiful shoes one day, and you do walk with beautiful feet here and now. For indeed, you share His good news, my sister.
I have chosen Our Heart’s Desire for my featured post this week because I love it so much.
God bless!
Your kind words of encouragement bless me greatly Jenn. I’m delighted to know you enjoy my posts-that brings me great Joy. And how blessed I am to know that you have featured my words of hope and encouragement for your readers. I pray my testimony encourages them to seek the Father with their insecurities and dreams. Blessings to you Dear One. Hope Prevails!
Thank you, Michelle. I needed to read this today. Blessings!
I love how our Heavenly Father meets our needs in the most unexpected ways. He loves you, Janet! Hope Prevails!
Love your Tweet texts! This was such a great read!!! Thank you!!
Your words encourage me. Thank you for that blessing, Bethany! Hope Prevails!
Oh this is beautiful! But I’m always stopping short of my own heart’s desire – but it’s also a question of “Is it matching God’s desire or just a selfish thing?” I do have a heart’s desire, and I do believe God put it there and gifted me for it, but I keep avoiding it like the plague. I can’t even figure that one out, but this is encouragement to go try again!
Gina, I have found that when we seek His will, our desires align with His desires for us. Sometimes even when we have dreams and desires from Him, fear and anxiety creep in to steal our joy, motivation, and initiative. But His grace can cover that if we’ll let Him. Give Him a try – He wants to give you the desires of your heart (even if they take on a slightly different shape or path 😉 ). Hope Prevails!
This is so true:
“The enemy uses our insecurities to keep us from fully embracing God’s call on our lives.”
Thanks for your helpful words… Hope does prevail.
Thanks for stopping by, Sue. Such a privilege to know you and your heart for helping others be set free. Because of Him, Hope Prevails!
Loved your honesty. The picture of you sitting waiting crying to share pretty shoes. Wow! Thank you for this beautiful post. I was challenged by this question, “What dreams do you need to resurrect and bring to Him?” Stopping by from Reflect.
Jann, hoping you and your Abba Father dream together, for He longs to give you the desires of YOUR heart!
This is so beautiful, I cried reading it. Thank you for sharing this post today.
Thank you for your sweet words Christy! Because of Him, #HopePrevails!