BEAUTIFUL INSPIRATION

As always I was met with mixed emotions after learning that another person I ‘met’ through this writing ministry is now at home with the Lord. I count it a blessing that she was inspired through reading some of my books as she journeyed home to meet her Maker.

It started with sharing my second book, God’s Love Illuminated, with a stranger at a retreat in November of 2023. This person shared the book with her mother who lived in Pennsylvania, who I never had the privilege of meeting face-to-face. I received a lovely card and hand-written note in July of 2024 from her. Part of the message said, “I’m a 99 year old woman and believe me, God’s Love Illuminated is a book you can’t put down.”

The daughter and I kept in touch via email starting in July 2024 and saw each other at another retreat that year. We instantly connected on a spiritual level and shared some of our stories. When my own daughter was leaving for basic training in January of 2025, this friend and her mother were faithful prayer warriors for my daughter despite never meeting her. I would send updates and some pictures to keep them informed. What a beautiful blessing they were interceding for my daughter and my family.

For the mother’s 100^th birthday in May of 2025, I sent her a copy of my fourth book, God’s Glory Manifested, which she greatly appreciated. In January of 2026 I felt inspired to share my latest book, God’s Grace Manifested, that was published at the end of December though I knew her health was declining. It was a sacred moment to know that her daughter read some of the book to her mother in the remaining two weeks of her life on earth. I pray it brought her comfort and peace.

There are three inspiring nuggets of wisdom that I will always treasure that this mother shared with me—the first two of which were from her first thank-you note.

 

Prayer is the key to heaven.

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”  –Mark 12:22-25  (NLT)

This lady knew the importance of prayer and how faith and prayer are the key to unlocking heaven, even heaven on earth. Prayer is simply communing with God–sometimes with audible words and sometimes just being one with God in silence. We should always strive to be in right relationship with others; not holding something against another. We enter into God’s presence when praying.

 

Photo courtesy of Simply Shar♥n under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

 “You write about how the wind is so fascinating and its effect on the water and trees. I’m impressed about the air we breathe. We can’t see it, we can’t feel it, and it has no odor but you know what happens if we don’t have it. I think that’s the biggest miracle.”

What a beautiful observation from this friend. Think about the air we breathe–indeed we can’t see, feel, or smell it. Yet because of the air, we are alive on this earth. Indeed what a great miracle God has provided for each of us!

 

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.  –Genesis 2:7  (NLT)

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.  –Job 33:4  (NIV)

Where did the air we breathe come from? It came from God Himself breathing His breath into us! That means we have the miracle of the Spirit in us too. The Spirit is always with us though we can’t see it nor physically touch it yet it is always with us.

 

Photo courtesy of Leonard J Matthews under Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 2.0)

 

This third inspiration came from the email my friend shared when she let me know her mom had died.

“In the last month, my mother often said: I can’t wait to meet Jesus and have Him say “I know you” when I approach Him. She spent her life working to get closer and closer to Him.”

I am in awe of the mother’s faith and the beauty of her sentiment and excitement to hear Jesus say to her personally, “I know you!” After all, isn’t that the purpose of this life on earth? To walk closer to Jesus each day, listening for His voice leading and guiding us, and loving and serving Him through others?  Our goal is to spend eternity in heaven walking the streets of gold with our Lord and Savior.

 

But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”  –2 Timothy 2:19  (NLT)

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”  –John 10:14-15; 27-28  (NIV)

Even while we are on this earth, Jesus knows our hearts and our earnestness in seeking Him. We belong to Him as soon as we accept Him in faith. So naturally Jesus will continue to know us when we leave this earth to spend eternity with Him. We live listening to His voice and in obedience to His ways. We are secure in His hands.

 

 

Be encouraged this week to…

… unlock the key to deeper, consistent prayer whether with words or in silence.

… thank God for the miracle of the breath He breathed into you.

… reflect on what it will be like to hear Jesus say, “I know you!”

… work on being closer to God.

 

REFLECTION:

Have you thanked God for the miracle you are?
Can you visualize the excitement of hearing Jesus saying to you, “I know you?”

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  –Hebrews 12:1  (NLT)

NOTE: I will take a week or two off. Stop by anytime to read a reflection! Blessings~