I Still Choose....

I haven’t published much over the past few years. Life has changed—a lot. There have been so many difficult and trying seasons, and also so many unbelievable moments of the Lord’s mercy and grace. I could have written every day. I could have shared my deepest struggles and my greatest victories, and I know every word would have carried the depth of a heart clinging to the love and promises of Jesus.

But instead of pouring it all out publicly, I rested in His grace.

I sat in awe of His love. I wrote down His promises as they were revealed—through tears shed in pain and in joy. I have pages and pages… literally journals filled with learning, processing, stretching. I have seen His heart for me in a new light, and I’ve come to understand more deeply His love for others. I’ve stood on the absolutes of His Word, even while sharing the raw, unsightly rubble "in the meanwhile". I have surrendered. I have taken new steps in confidence. I have changed.

Some things, though, remain the same.

I still ask the Lord each year for a word to study—a word to live with, return to, and apply what He is teaching me through it all. Each year He has faithfully provided not only the word, but the growth within the word.

This year, my word is “Come.”

It’s a short word, but it challenged me immediately. Instantly, my mind tried to "figure it out", to define it, to understand it. After a moment of my thoughts racing, rather than a quick answer, instead, it brought me to tears—and still does. I’m stirred by the depth and breadth of this invitation, one that is both gentle and specific: Come.

I can feel the page turning into a new chapter. And honestly, I’m not worried about what He plans to write on the pages ahead—because He wants me to come. It’s an invitation I need to remember daily. And to be honest—you need to remember it daily too.

Come as you are, and spend time with the One who has a purpose and a plan for you—who knows exactly how you were designed and what he designed you for. Come and know His heart for you. Come and let Him show you His grace and mercy, wrapping you in His unending love. Healing. Restoring. Renewing.

Come.

After all these years—after the prayers and praises, the questions and answers—His consistent invitation still calls me to Him. And that tells me He isn’t finished yet. That is why I am filled with hope and why:

I choose Jesus.

I choose Life in Him.

I choose Forgiveness.

I choose Grace.

I choose Truth.

And I still choose—JOY.