Thanks For Listening!

When I was a little girl, I lost my voice. I became so skilled at being silent that it seemed to become a permanent condition. I'm not sure what terrible thing I thought might happen if I spoke. Maybe that I would be noticed? In certain situations, being noticed was not a good thing. But deep down, I wanted to be noticed. Desperately. Just in the right way, I guess. 

As I grew up, I learned to speak when I had to, but deep down I was still terrified of being seen. What would people think if they saw who I really was? After all, I had been told for so long in so many different ways that I was unlovable. Unworthy. Unfixable.  I didn't believe that anyone really wanted to hear what I had to say. 

One of the most powerful truths that God has revealed to me in the eight years since He got a hold of me is this: He sees me. He loves me. I am worth so much to Him that He came to this earth and died for me so that I might live. This truth is setting me free! In these last eight years, He has placed me on a praise team in front of congregations, behind pulpits and in Sunday school classes teaching, and in many different situations speaking about how far He's brought me. I would never have imagined in my wildest, craziest dreams that I would ever do those things! But my love for Jesus and all He's done for me compels me to tell everyone who will listen about His great love. These days I can't STOP talking. Praise the Lord!

For a long time, I misunderstood 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." I  always thought that because I was so damaged and flawed, He had to come in and make me something new, because who I was didn't measure up. That's not it!! The truth is that making me new didn't mean remaking; it meant restoring. He is restoring me to the person He created me to be in the beginning, before the world wounded me, before I damaged myself, before evil convinced me to be quiet. He is restoring me to a hopeful, enthusiastic, loving, very talkative person who just wants to tell the world how wonderful He is. And people are listening. I discovered today that I have had over 22,000 page views on this blog. Wow. Thanks for listening!

Father,
Thank You for never giving up on me, even when I gave up on myself. It means so much to me that You are the God who sees me.

In His perfect love,
Amy



copyright 2013, Amy Wallace