Welcome to my Friends and Fellowship Serenity Summer Soiree. Each week during the months of June, July, and August plan to enjoy meeting some of my favorite writing friends and fellowship around the goodness of the Lord. This week, we are encouraged by my amazing friend, Laurie Meek Watkins, as she leads us in embracing possibilities in the midst of heartbreak.
Welcome Laurie!
I love to go to the airport. Usually, I’m a flier. I kick back and watch people as I wait to fly away. My best airport visit is not as a flier, however. It’s as a retriever.
When I’m on pick up. I wait outside the gate.
She sees me and her face lights up. Her smile is ear-to-ear. She starts running down the long hall. In one fell swoop, my three-year-old granddaughter jumps into my arms. Oh! The hug!
My whole world is wrapped in this embrace. Fun begins. Endless possibilities are launched.
Everything about my granddaughter reunion is full of possibilities. She laughs. She chatters. She asks countless questions:
“What’s next, Gran?”
“Where we goin, Gran?”
“What’ll we see ?”
When my granddaughter and I get together, we’re swept away by joyous anticipation:
There will be dancing.
There will be laughter.
There will be singing.
There will be love.
looking for possibilities in the dark
I sit in an empty home today. I’m alone…but I’m thinking about embracing possibilities.
Wouldn’t life be better if we all ran to our beloved Savior with the same exuberance as my granddaughter?
WOW! What joy to jump into the warm embrace of Jesus!
We can even ask questions:
What’s next, Jesus?
Where we goin, Jesus?
What’ll we see?
I guarantee, even in our darkest times, Jesus will hoist us up and say:
There will be dancing.
There will be laughter.
There will be singing.
There will be love.
The possibilities are endless.
It’s pretty quiet here. I’m kinda lonely and overwhelmed….
BUT…
Here I go…running to my Savior! I’m swept away by possibilities. I’m engulfed in peace.
Let’s embrace Jesus with all the joy of a three-year-old. As Jesus said, we need to become like little children.
“He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
So, friends, please join me. Let’s get a good run down the hall to the One who loves us best.
Let’s jump and dance and spin around with our Savior.
Let’s laugh, even when our insides cry.
As God promises, He’ll turn our mourning into dancing.
“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.“
Also…Never fear!
If you’re so broken you don’t feel you can run or even crawl to Jesus, rest assured, Jesus is running to you.
Let yourself fall into His arms.
The possibilities are endless.
Laurie’s Story: Shattered to Embracing Possibilities
When my husband walked away after 40 years together, my life shut down. I was confused and traumatized. All plans of beautiful marriage were shattered.
But… God.
For a while, I hovered in trauma, dealt with chaos, cried and grieved. Then God opened my eyes to new possibilities. I ran to Jesus to embrace them.
Fast forward a bit… I’m over here, embracing possibilities.
My embrace is sloppy and certainly not perfect, but it’s divinely ordained. As long as I pay attention to Jesus, I feel God’s peace. Anything is possible.
Possibilities don’t have to be grand.
Possibilities are never defined by the world.
Matter of fact, outsiders may think I’m pretty simple. I’m not heading up big ministries. I’m not making a big splash in the literary world.
BUT …
In still, small, quiet ways, I’m embracing possibilities Jesus gives me:
- Joy in the junk.
- Whimsy in the worry
- Adventure in the adversity
Jesus gives me possibilities and… yes… purpose.
I want to walk this new journey with dignity and glorify God along the way.
Here I go. -Wanna join me in embracing possibilities with Jesus?
Laurie Meek Watkins is the Type A Lady behind the blog, Confessions of a Type A Woman and Instagram @typeachecklist. Laurie dedicates her imperfect self to helping you know a great big God who overcomes an imperfect world. (2 Corinthians 4:7-9)
Laurie writes a weekly newspaper column featuring ordinary people doing extraordinary things. She sings, dances and performs in musicals, as she says, “until the arthritis kicks in!”
Since unexpected betrayal ended her marriage, Laurie’s goal is to walk this new journey with dignity and glorify God along the way. She searches to find purpose in her pain and share hope with others. (Romans 8:28).
Laurie shares the bad news…the Good News…and then…the GLORIOUS NEWS:
In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33)
God restores shattered things. (Isaiah 61:2-4)
God makes all things new. (Revelation 21:5)
Laurie’s message for you:
Precious one. Please remember you are loved with an everlasting love. Jesus wants you to fall fully and completely into His arms. Jesus has already won your battle for you. He calls you to come to Him and REST. Let go. REST. This road may be hard – But you are never alone when you give everything to your Savior. YOU are Loved. YOU have a purpose. Choose Jesus and be FREE.
Embrace possibilities, even if the embrace feels awkward and sloppy. Jesus is in midst, and accepts us exactly as we are today, no matter how clumsy we may feel as we do this thing called life. Such an encouraging post! Thank you Donna and Laurie. May you both keep dancing into the arms of Jesus!
Lynn, I agree, Laurie invites us into all of the messy and clumsy we call life so that we can experience more of Jesus!
Donna, I appreciate this summer series! Laurie, I appreciate your authenticity! This is a good reminder to run to the Lord with anticipation and joy. Thanks for the encouragement today; I needed it!
Thank you, Lisa for following the summer series! I DO love Laurie’s perspective! Her blog is always uplifting and God honoring.
Laurie and Donna – this is such a beautiful and encouraging post. Such a precious Savior we have that we can run to Him any time we feel the need. Every possibility is before us with purpose and as we lean into Him, He fulfills those purposes in our lives.
Joanne, I love Laurie’s perspective here. While acknowledging life’s hard paths, she still finds Joy in Jesus by remaining open to His leading, finding comfort in His Presence!