Overwhelmed

 

February 4, 2013

So today’s entry is going to be a little different. I am not posting to talk more about my story (which I will continue on Wednesday). I am posting to talk about how God has used my blog thus far. I am overwhelmed with the words of encouragement, support, and love I have received from people, even from people I don’t know.

When I began this blog I had fears, real fears. I had a fear s of how people were going to look at me. Were people going to judge my past? Were people going to ignore me in church? Were people going to treat me different? Oh how those thoughts made my skin crawl? My heart began to break to think that the family I had within my church was going to fall apart around me. But I heard God right, right? I know I heard him tell me that the blog was where He wanted me to start with my story. Did He say “start?” What does he mean by start? Oh brother!

So I began my blog. I shared stories that hurt me terribly growing up. I shared stories of my mistakes in my adult life. I shared stories of hurt, love, and betrayal. And all of sudden I was getting emails, text, and comments that blew my mind. Words of not just support and encouragement came my way but words of thankfulness. People told me that now they know they are not alone. They are not alone in the hurt. They are not alone in making mistakes. They are not alone in their shame. I had one woman tell me that they have hope for the first time in their life. Hope, isn’t that what it is all about?

I can be at work, at church, in the grocery store, or even at a concealed weapon class, and people come up with words that bring me to tears. But what blows me away even more than the words are who the words come from. The words have not only come from women but men too. My audience for this blog is towards women so when men began to express how my blog have affected them, I about fall out of my seat.

Yesterday a complete stranger made a comment on my Page on Face book. She is not my friend or a friend of a friend. She had no way of knowing who I was. She wrote this:

“Sarah, you are so brave and courageous for telling your beautiful story of God's redemption and love.”

I in returned asked her how she found my Page and her response was:

"Somehow I landed on your Face book page and it looked interesting, so I went to the blog and read the whole thing. I was really touched, and felt the Holy Spirit speaking through your writing, and I loved the Mama and Papa comments, too. When I tried to go back to find what led me there, I couldn't find it. So - it must have been the Holy Ghost!"

WOW!! So tonight I write this entry with overwhelming feelings!! I want you all to know how much I appreciate you. Thank you for your love, your support, and your encouragement. Thank you for all the “I am so proud of you”. Even though I am so happy of how my blog is being used to help people, I want to take a moment and express something. I am asking you to please not put your hope in me and/or my story. Your hope and the only hope you should have is in the only hope I have. My hope is Jesus. I don’t want to take credit for where I am now and all that I have walked through. I am all I am today because of the love of my Father God. I love and forgive only because God has loved and forgiven me first. If Jesus didn’t come down on this Earth and die for me, than I would not know one thing about how to treat people, love people, or forgive people. I give Him and only Him the glory from this blog and from my life. With this being said, please enjoy the rest of my story.