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For What Your Heart Needs

For What Your Heart Needs  -christyfitzwater.com

I woke up at 5:00 a.m. yesterday and got out of bed, but I was having a hard morning. A few words the night before had stirred up sorrow, and I couldn’t seem to shake my sadness.

So I plugged in the Christmas tree (a real tree that my guys cut down in a real forest), crawled under a quilt, and lay there for almost two hours.

Lord, I need some kind of encouragement for my heart this morning, I said.

I drank a cup of coffee, and that didn’t help. Maybe because it carried a hint of vinegar from when I cleaned the coffee maker the day before. Eeuuw.

Lord, some encouragement? 

I opened my Bible…

Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the Lord

endures forever.

Psalm 117:1-2

The Lord has a great love for me. That felt good to say out loud.

I saw my son off to school and then had a little cry. (Don’t you hate it when you’re trying to feel happy but you keep not?)

Lord, I’m still feeling sad. Please, I need something more.

I went downstairs and got on Facebook, to find a personal message from a sweet friend who used to live here. She is a young mom, and we often chat about parenting and family stuff. I asked her if I could tell you what she said.

This was her note…

I want to share some news with you. A week ago we found out my husband’s cousin was putting her six-month-old daughter up for adoption. We offered to adopt her, and the mother called us Sunday to say she’s chosen us and she wants to come on the 26th to drop her off. The 26th of this month. !!!

I have a third daughter. Isn’t this incredible!!??!

Yes, incredible.

This cheerful news was just what I needed.

It was nice to receive a personal message from a friend. Sometimes that’s all I need for my heart to be able to skip again. (I love watching little kids skip and think it a shame that adults don’t.)

And it helped to hear another story besides my own –a happy one at that. To hear of someone’s obedience to the Lord is almost as sweet as being obedient yourself.

Listen to my friend and see if her excitement doesn’t make you smile…

God has been speaking this message (caring for the orphans and widows) to both of us, loud and clear, for years. We’ve been chomping at the bit to get in there. This is (while overwhelmingly fast) a dream come true!! And we’re not sure we’re done….we might adopt again. Heck, I still want an orphanage.

The more I chatted with her, the less I was able to recall what I had been sad about.

So, like the Ghost of Christmas Present (you do remember my obsession with A Christmas Carol?), I am sprinkling out a Christmas-time blessing on you today.

God loves us.

He cares especially much for those who are in a low spot.

Thank the Lord for the friends he puts in our lives.

(And maybe you could cheer  up someone with a simple note today?)

God is doing joyful rescue work all around us. Can you see it?

4 Comments

  1. Beautifully written as always!

  2. Thank you for this beautiful reminder of how great the Lord’s love for us is and that His faithfulness endures forever. I needed to hear this as I start my day!

    1. Yes, sometimes we just need to be reminded we are loved by someone who is never fickle or moody or worn out.

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