Early this morning, I received an email from Lynn, a dear sister in Christ who shared with me a blog about her past year. She mentioned the joy of her daughter’s wedding and how the couple had placed in a wooden crate letters to one another to be read on their one-year anniversary. When they nailed the crate shut, the nails went in crooked. Interestingly, during their first year, they faced triumphs and trials (health challenges and miscommunications). Lynn mentioned also her own marriage of 42 years and during the past year, they also experienced health and financial conflicts. Through it all, they kept their eyes on Jesus. Lynn then asked her readers to email her any tough challenges they had faced in their marriages during the past year. Below, is my response:
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Good morning, Lynn,
Blessings in Jesus’s mighty name.
Thank you for sharing your letter of love about your family, and the crooked and straight nails from this past year.
I have had my fair share of them but so grateful that Abba Father has always been so faithful, loving, merciful and especially forgiving.
Truth is, I am not married. I was not aware that you write specifically to those who are married. My apology. We connected years ago through Michael Weiss and LDT4 (Legacy Dream Team 4, Summer of 2020}.
Some of my crooked nails include failed marriages. The stories I could tell! I have lived life more as a Single than I have as a married person. Oftentimes, I have felt the intensity of rejection and abuse, wondering why I just was not good enough to be loved by that one special person clothed in human skin, who loved God and people as fiercely with a passion and compassion as I do.
Alas, that is not my story. I guess I can say that I have loved much and God has graciously forgiven me and provided much for me exponentially. I have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. They are my greatest treasures, excelled only by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Precious Holy Spirit.
How cool is that!
Suffice it to say. I have weathered many storms, traversed mountainous terrain, death-like valleys, and dusty dry deserts. Through it all, there have been warm fireplaces in my winters, springs of living waters in my spring times, growth and expansion in my summers, and beautiful foliage during my autumns!
In November, I will be 62. Still serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ since September 14, 1980. I have failed at times, fallen but got back up again. Through the years, I have penned words to paper of my life’s lessons, and even self- published three books.
In May, I launched my 3rd book on Amazon, “Waterfalls of God’s Mercies: Healing after Brokenness”. It is so comforting and refreshing to experience God’s love which is restorative, transforming!
Though there is still this yearning in my heart to truly experience marital love, I trudge on fearlessly, trusting God who loves me unconditionally.
Anyhow, thank you for allowing me this opportunity to pour out some of my thoughts.
May our wonderful Father bless, expand, and increase you in all that you do.
Shalom!
Tracy L. Moore
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Several scriptures came to mind after I wrote the above email to Lynn…. scriptures about God’s love and mercy towards me, especially during the crooked times in my life when I found myself walking crooked paths, not sure of how I would get from one place to another. O! God is faithful and loving and forgiving.
Luke 4:44 – 47
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Isaiah 40:1 – 4
1Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Isaiah 42:16
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
Isaiah 45:2
I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.
Luke 3:5
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
Philippians 2:14 – 16
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.