Hello Prodigals. It’s been awhile since we’ve talked or even
seen each other. I miss you. I have so many fond memories of our times
together. I understand why you left, but
things haven’t been the same without you.
I hope you are doing well. The
last time I saw you, you seemed so lost.
When I looked into your eyes it felt as though I could see into your
soul and it was empty.
My heart ached to fix
things for you, but there comes a point when this God thing has to become real
and personal to you. You have to own
it! God is amazing and oh so real! I know this first hand. He has met me at my lowest moments and in my darkest
hours. He has carried me through so many
things. I don’t know where I would be
without Him. He has filled up all of the
empty spots of my life. He has wrapped
me in His love and overwhelmed me with His peace.
I have shared my life with
you (in good times and bad). My faith in
God has been messy, but genuine. I have
been available to answer questions, pray for you, and be there when you needed
me. You have been in my thoughts and prayers. Regardless of my efforts, ultimately the
choice was yours. I understand your
decision, but I beg you to change your mind.
You were hurt, felt judged,
disappointed, and confused. You felt
forgotten, unappreciated, and unnoticed.
You felt far from God while you made efforts to move closer to Him. Enough was enough. Things did not pan out the way you expected
and you gave up… you walked AWAY from God.
When you needed Him most where was He?
You never felt Him, yet others did.
You felt all alone.
I beg you to
“remember”. Remember when you
experienced Him for the first time. Remember
how you felt when you first sensed His presence wrapping around you. Remember the peace He poured over your heart during
those difficult times. Remember when you
read the Bible and it came alive to you.
Remember when He answered your prayers and used you to touch someone
else for Him. Remember the youth retreats,
camps, conventions, radical worship times, and powerful services. Remember the people around you that inspired
you by their own walk with God. He was
real to you at some point. You were
drawn to the reality of God and you wanted more. You were hungry for the things of God. Remember?
When I think of you and
remember my heart is sad. I don’t want
you to walk around empty, lonely, and hopeless anymore. I want you to find your purpose in God and
experience His life-changing touch. I
want you to be all He desired you to be and more. I want you to walk in His destiny for your
life. I want you to be happy again… to
have that inner joy down deep that circumstances can’t steal away.
Your time with God was one
of the happiest times of your life. Remember? You felt the most fulfilled during this
time. It’s because God was filling up
all the empty crevices of your life with His presence. His peace poured over you and His love was so
tangible in your life. Everything felt
right with Him at the center of your heart and life.
I don’t know what pushed
you over the edge enough to walk away for good. Maybe it was adversity, difficulty, or
unexpected circumstances that occurred beyond your control. Difficult times can cause anyone to
give up. Bad things happen. I know that full well. My life hasn’t been perfect. I have faced unexpected circumstances beyond
my control on numerous accounts that have stretched me beyond my limits. It was tough.
I felt weary, spent, and overwhelmed. I was at the end of my rope. In the midst of my pain, I didn’t know where
else to go, but to God. I reached
out His direction and I was surprised by His response.
Each time I ran to
God in my moments of despair and heartache God’s peace immediately
followed. It’s what I needed most. His presence was felt instantly and His love surrounded
me. Even though I didn’t understand the
Why’s of life, I ran to my constant source of strength, God, to see me
through. I have faced a lot of adversity
over the years and I must confess that God has never disappointed me
each time I have chosen to run to Him instead of AWAY from Him.
I know you have been AWAY
from Him for awhile, but I challenge you to come home. Reach out to Him… He misses you so much! I know it will be hard. You will feel weird. You are scared, but imagine your life turned
back over to Him. How different would
things be and for the better? How much more
peace could you feel? Just think
about it… your heart full and overflowing with God’s love. Hearing His voice, feeling His presence, His
destiny played out in your life… your life completely fulfilled in Him.
I know the world hasn’t
treated you well. You have experienced
pain, heartache, and despair. I know you
might feel broken, abused, or used. You
aren’t the same person as you were before.
That’s okay. He wants you to come
to Him as you are anyways. I know your
life is riddled with trails of bad choices and a life time of regrets. It’s okay.
Lay them all down at His feet.
All He wants is YOU… as you are, completely surrendered to
Him.
Each day is a fresh start,
a clean page with no mistakes… a day full of endless possibilities. Choose well my friend. I beg you to “remember” and make a bold step
closer to Him. He is not standing with
arms crossed in judgment. Adjust your
spiritual lens. He is standing
expectantly with arms wide open waiting to run to you the minute you turn your
head His direction. He loves you
fiercely friend. Run to Him
today. Pour out your heart to Him. It may not be pretty, but in a raw and real
way connect your heart with His today.
Run to Him when you are confused and it feels like your world is falling apart. Run to Him when you are grieving from a great loss or celebrating a victory. Run to Him when you feel all hope is gone and life is pushing you under. Run to Him when your relationship is falling apart and your heart is broken into a million pieces. Run to Him when your body is full of sickness and you are fearful of the outcome. His peace is waiting to envelop you and His presence is waiting to comfort you. He is as close as the mention of His name… Jesus.
James 4:8 says this…
“Come near to God, and God will come near to you.”
I
pray today you will take a step CLOSER to God and watch Him draw near to
you. I love you prodigals and miss you
dearly. Please know I am still here for
you. I’m available to answer questions
and pray for you too. Please consider
coming home to God today. We both miss
you terribly.
Love
& prayers,
Julie
