Simply Redeemed
So, like always I am a little behind. This is my World Race route’s blog month. That means we are aiming to get 4 blogs out this month and so far, I have just 1. But this is alright with me because I have been busy this month and that has given me inspiration for this blog.
I was blessed to get to serve at Tres Dias a couple weekends ago. Tres Dias is a three-day retreat where to put it simply, you can feel the love of Christ and gain some tools to prepare you to become a leader in your church. The theme of the weekend was “I am not perfect but simply redeemed.” I knew that God was going to use this retreat to open my eyes and bless me as he always does but this weekend was different. I knew that He was going to take peoples chains and reveal that through Him they can be redeemed. I had no idea that he was going to show me that he has taken my chains and that I am redeemed. And that also when I pick up new chains he will always be right there beside me to take them out of my hands.
I did a lot in the past to try and find value in my life. For a long time, I felt like I was alone in life. I had my friends growing up, but they were always in relationships and I just felt like it was always going to be just me. I was constantly trying to find someone I could be with and finally be happy. Well, this kinda changed my senior year in high school. I FINALLY found my person who would make me happy. This person because my whole life and I put all of my dreams and aspirations on hold to do anything and everything I could for her. I had plans to move out to California with my mom after graduation with my mom to go to school. I was going to become a physical therapist and help people. I was going to travel the world. I had a ton of plans for my life that I slowly began to let go of. This relationship was more important than everything, including my family. Not long after the start of the relationship I started pushing my family away. I started spending less and less time with them until I stopped spending time with them at all.
One of the people in my family I pushed away the most was my sister Hope. She was a few years older than me so growing up we had a hard time getting along like most siblings. Well when I was getting to the point where we could start to get close this relationship. Being the smart older sister she was, she knew that this relationship was not healthy and good for me so she told me that. I took it as her not wanting me to be happy and completely cut her out. I treated her horribly whenever we were together and would start fights with here for no good reason. At the time I truly could care less about her and it breaks my heart today that I felt like that. I missed out on so many things with Hope that I will never be able to get back. I missed my beautiful niece’s first birthday party. I missed family dinners with them and so much more. I beat myself up about this after the relationship ended until this past Tres Dias where I finally realized that I was redeemed.
This weekend I was able to reflect on my life and how He has saved me from so many things I put myself into. He saved me from a relationship I had no business being in. He saved the relationship with my family and friends. He redeemed my past and gave me a bright future I had never been able to dream of before. He has showed me that my value is not in things of this world but of Heavenly things. I have given up what people think about me and focused on what He thinks about me freeing me of tons of stress and anxiety.
The thing I am most appreciative about being restored though is my relationship with Hope. Before I hated her guts and now she is one of my best friends. I used to hate spending time with her but now every second I get to be around her, Mikey, Molly and Mia is a true gift. God has truly opened my eyes to how blessed I am to get to spend time with the worlds smartest 3 year old (Happy Birthday Molly Grace) and chunkiest baby. I can’t begin to express what Hope and Mikey mean to me now. Getting the chance to grow close with Hope after everything I did to push us apart has been a huge blessing and she will always have a special place in my heart. I am excited to see the amazing gifts the Lord has for Broome family and am excited to be a small part of their life.
Love you Hopey!!!
