“Present day;

I have walked the foundation, hallways, individual rooms, up the stairs, and down the stairs of our new home many more times than I can count over the past year. Today, with walls painted, we are closer than ever to completion. But are we?”

I don’t know why I think of these things. Maybe my upcoming birthday brings the awareness of progressively changing things that cannot be reversed. Maybe it’s that…or could it be a sweet reminder from God of the beauty that comes from all that has been?

There are times when our spirits are torn so they can be mended. And sometimes, God leads us through seasons of silence so we can learn to speak of his goodness at the right time. In His time.

Instantly, I sensed the sweet presence of significant healing in the counseling room. And I then wondered how I could even put this encounter with an omnipresent God into words for her.

This was and is my truth. This was me finding freedom from myself. This was knowing that prayer keeps us submitted to His will and not our own.

I know He will meet me here. I know this because He always has. I know this because He is my Father and I know I am a child of God.

And I know now more than ever that I’ve been gifted with not just a season, but a lifetime of friendship. Friendships that all look different, have come and gone, and that will remain—all given to me by my Father, protector, and friend.

Do you know someone who looks like they are just skating through life? Maybe they are choosing faith, and the result is favor. Join me at Giftofthree.com as I reveal how I concluded what favor means to me as a believer in Christ.

Join me as we look at the understanding that as believers, we may have flaws, and we may at times run away, but we are not frauds. We are children of God. And it’s through His grace; He guides us to serve a purpose within a much bigger plan than we can understand.

“12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive one anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”.

Colossians 3:12-13

Robert Frost once said, “Freedom lies in being bold.”. I’m not sure of the original context of his statement, but when I came across these words, something stirred in my spirit. And at that moment, I realized how my then-unknown journey to Gift of Three had started shifting a few years ago when I reached out to Jesus to search for freedom.

It was late in the evening on November 18, 2011. Sitting on a nursing home bed in my hometown, I held my Mama as she took her last breath. I felt a rush of peace move through me. A peace that would sustain me just long enough to make it through the day after her memorial service, a celebration of life we planned for an exact week later- on her birthday. That year, she spent her 48th birthday with Jesus…

First comes freedom…

I always wonder how other people feel about their milestone birthdays. Age is associated with so many different transitions and seasons in life- what generation we’re from, when we get our driver’s license, or when we’re considered “over the hill.” There have been times I felt older than my years, and there have been times I felt younger than my years. It’s like I’ve been 50% child, 50% old soul my entire life.

Do you know anyone who reads the last page of the book first? That’s something I’ve done for as long as I can remember. When I admit it, it sounds a little silly. Why would anyone want to know the happily ever after or the tragedy that might take place before they know all the colorful details, right?