I woke up this morning and I felt such a heaviness of sorrow. I had a bad dream and it almost ruined my day. I hate that! Immediately flashbacks of the past went scrambling through my mind and now the tears came flooding in. Not a great way to start the day out. 

As I layed there and gathered mysef I began to think of how grateful I am to be where I am today. Full of hope. Full of peace. Things were not always this way. I would have stayed there in a prison of fear. I would have allowed my thoughts and emotions to keep me bound. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was so wounded. I’ve learned to express my hurts and emotions to Jesus and not allow them to control me. Once I’ve exchanged turmoil for peace I can face the day with expectation of good. In my mind it’s not such a fair gift exchange but it is the way Jesus works. 

You see, once we get a taste of the goodness of God we are forever changed. He is no longer just a name on a page or stories in a book. We no longer cling to lies because truth has proven itself true. When doubt threathens to swallow us whole, his voice rescues us. When our past comes back to haunt us, he reminds us of who we are in him. We have been captured in a love so real, so strong, that it won’t let us go…ever! 

This love, again, reached out to me this morning reminding me that in all his splendor and glory, he has always been Emmanuel, God with me. Through every moment of my life. Good. Bad. Rich. Poor. Sickness and in health. I am bound by his faithfulness to me and he won’t ever let me go…never!