My mom and Donnie had the opportunity to come do life with me in Guatemala for 5 days! The emotions I felt that week were all over the place. That first embrace after 6 months of not seeing each other was a dream. I didn’t want to let go. Throughout the week we got to work a kids carnival, install stoves and water filters, pray over the people of Guatemala and experience the power of the Holy Spirit first hand. Watching them leave the second time was easily just as painful as the first but I knew that in the separation, the lord was going to be faithful in continuing to grow us individually, as a mother, as a father and as a daughter.
There was one night where my parents got to read a blessing that they wrote for me. So many truths were spoken over so many lies that night. I don’t know if they know that but the lords words were heard so clearly through that blessing. We were all sobbing. It was such a sweet moment that we got to share with each other. Throughout the week, I saw Donnie open up in ways that I wasn’t sure were going to happen. I saw a fire ignite in him for the people of Guatemala. I saw his heart being transformed. I saw my mom be a willing vessel to touch a woman’s life through prayer and obedience. The lord touches each of his children in different ways and I saw his hand over both my mom and Donnie that week. I saw their eyes being opened to the different ways that He works. I saw them approach change with open hands instead of closed off minds. I saw them take bold steps in their faith. On the same night that I received the blessing I got to wash their feet and pray over them. I don’t know about y’all but this is not something that we do as a family at home, the thought of their daughter washing their feet for them was foreign and odd in their minds but they approached it with open hands allowing the lord to speak into it. I saw transformation in both of them throughout the week. I was able to be open with them about the struggles I had faced in the past 6 months we had been apart, my mom and Donnie were able to open up and talk to me about their struggles, their faith and their personal walks with the Lord. They witnessed what the race was like and how it has been a platform for the Lord to move in me and through me, how it had impacted the way I live my life.
March 15-20 will always be a time I remember as renewal and rest. Rest in the fact that life is not perfect but sometimes the Lord grants us mercy beyond belief and allows us to get a glimpse of the perfection and freedom that heaven holds. I believe that in that week, my mom Donnie and I got to experience freedom in a way that we hadn’t before. Freedom to serve the lord together as a family out of an overflow of his perfect love. His love that surpasses all understanding. His love that tramples fear and shame and doubt and unbelief. His sacrificial love.
Jesus thank you for the way that you know our desires and act on them. Thank you that our desires aren’t always yours and thank you that in those times, you change our hearts. Thank you for the way that you’re constantly renewing our minds, bodies, souls and spirits. For the way that your spirit lives in us, and guides us through each day. You are good, Father. Thank you for the blessing of parents (4 of them, hi dad and kelly) Jesus you didn’t have to grant me parents but you did. Thank you. Lord I apologize for every time I took them for granted, for every time that I turned my back on them, for every time that I cursed their names, for every time that I cursed your name for the way that you wrote my story. Thank you for the past, present and future – I see your hand over all of it.
If any of you are harboring bitterness, hatred, anger or any negative thing against your parents, dead or alive, I encourage you to surrender that to the Father. He is a God of peace and patience and gentleness and faithfulness and self control and joy and love and kindness. He is a God who loves family and He is a God of restoration in Jesus name. Whatever surrender looks life for you, please surrender that relationship to Him. I surrendered my bitterness towards my dad in my senior year of High School and it isn’t a perfect relationship but no earthly relationship ever will be. I know that the relationship I now have with my dad is glorifying to the Lord and to His perfect name because He is the one that softened our hearts and brought us back together as Father and Daughter. Jesus thank you for restoration in your name. I pray that the weary eyes that this blog reaches would be opened to the love that you have for them and I pray that that love would touch their hearts in a way that encourages them to reach out in faith and trust in you. Thank you father. If you’re ever in need of encouragement, please reach out, I would love to talk to ya! (Whoever you are haha) or you can just talk to the Lord! His character is listening and speaking to His children. I love you all and I am so grateful for the way that you have supported me throughout this journey.
With a grateful heart,
Lucy <3
