There are specific moments in life where an individual realizes how deeply significant every single detail of every single moment of every single day is in determining what comes next. Every little things counts- every second you’re early (or late), every route you decide to take to work or school, every stranger we decide to turn into a friend- every little things changes the course of the rest of your day, and consequently, the rest of your life (according to His purpose). Every class I’ve ever taken has shaped a part of my cognition and the way that I currently think. Every photograph I’ve ever taken has subtly settled in- just to be found again. To remind me of where I’ve been, who I was, and who I am. And you know what? I take much pride in this. I take pride in the fact that everything- every moment, every person, every detail- serves its own, uniquely orchestrated purpose in your own, uniquely orchestrated life.
And for me, life would be nothing without relationships.
There are specific people in my life who have played, and some who continue to play, an absolutely important part in pushing me to who I am and where I am today. My family will forever stand at the very top of this. They have, hands down, always been the heaviest weight upon my heart (needless to say)- and for the greatest, most beautiful reasons. Without my family, I would not be me. I would not be the Richelle who goes about each day singing songs at the top of her lungs from Funny Face’s “On How To Be Lovely” to Biggie’s “Juicy” (don’t judge me! I’m just being real here). I would not be the Richelle who tries her best to seek out the positive in every person and in every day. I would not be the Richelle who falls in love with the most rambunctious preschoolers, even with all the mucous running down their noses and grass stains settled on their knees. I would not be the Richelle who takes joy in late night smoothie making. I would not be the Richelle who finds greater treasure in giving up her very own treasures of comfort for the sake of serving and sharing the gospel in the hidden crevices of this incredible Earth. My family, I tell you, has molded me to be exactly who I am today and has pulled me into the very journey that I find before me.
And even more than this, life would be nothing without my relationship with God.
There are very dark places in life where an individual realizes how empty life is without the Maker. Whenever I try to navigate through life and depend on my own strength and power to do the things that I need to do, I realize, even more, how helpless I am without first seeking the ultimate Giver of strength. God is my fortress, God is my rock, God is the reason for my joy, and God is my reason for living. At one point, I was completely blinded to the reality of His mercy, love and existence. I was blinded to the fact that I have complete freedom in the greatest gift of love that He freely gives to us- Jesus Christ. Now, you see, God has used the relationships in my life to, ultimately, bring me closer to Him. He has used specific people to take off my blindfold and to see how beautiful He is, how beautiful love is, and how beautiful life is. I cannot help but to step back and see how He has given my family to me, He has given my friends to me, He has graciously mapped out every single relationship in my life to serve its own uniquely orchestrated purpose. While the relationships He has given to me have molded, pulled and pushed me to where I am today, my relationship with Him has, by far, had the most indescribable power in opening my eyes to see the meaning of life. He has freed me from condemnation, He has freed me from my chains, He has freed me from self-doubt, He has freed me from repression, and He has restored me and set me free to live this life fearlessly for His glory.
And overall, God has unveiled my eyes to see the beauty of love as it was made to be.
Not too long ago, God gave me a vision and I was convicted to bring it to life to share with all of you. It tells a story of blindness, relationships, and freedom. It tells a story about how I would be completely empty and blind without my relationship with God. How specific relationships have pushed/pulled me to where I am, and who I am, today. All of these beautifully, uniquely orchestrated relationships free me, especially the gospel and my relationship with Him. And that is what it’s all about, what life is all about. Receiving His love, choosing love and endlessly giving love, because God is love and He restores and sets us free.
And so here I am, to share this God-given vision and story with you.
With all my joy and love,
Richelle
