A Sigh of Relief

First, I need to apologize for not writing sooner. The Lord wanted me to write a Valentine from Him to you and I did not manage my time well enough to do it. I have since had it laid on my heart that this blog is a responsibility that He has given me and I am to make time for it! I still have much to learn. I do appreciate your prayers on my behalf in this area.
When I approached Him and asked for a scripture, I prayed quite intensely that the one He wanted me to share would be very obvious. When I read this one I had such an overwhelming heart response that I knew this was it. Before I share though, I need to clarify a few things. I have read books that insinuate that we committed some kind of sin as children regarding our abuse. I disagree with that thinking wholeheartedly. But I DO know that we carry guilt in our hearts as if we did sin, in fact, as children, some of us were told that we had. So in verse 2 when it speaks of sin, I don't take it as sin like the sins I commit daily that I do need to be forgiven for, but rather the inaccurate feeling of sin and guilt that comes from my abuse. And it was automatic for me to insert "my daughter" where it says "my people" and my name where "Jerusalem" is.

All of this being said, here is the scripture taken from "The Message".
Isaiah 40:1,2 " 'Comfort, oh comfort my people,' says your God. 'Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem, but also make it very clear that she has served her sentence, that her sin is taken care of ---forgiven! She's been punished enough and more than enough, and now it's over and done with.' "

I don't know about you but I have spent most of my adulthood feeling punished and full of sin all because of the actions of another. But this is what our Daddy wants us, his little girls to know. These chains that bind, alienate and just plain wear us out are chains that He wants to free us of. Chains that He never intended for us to be bound with. Now, I am not saying that there is a magic wand that is waved and suddenly the chains just fall off of us in an instant. What I can tell you from my own experience is that there are much fewer chains binding me than I had 6 or 7 years ago. I mean a lot fewer! The freedom for embracing life and intimacy with our Daddy DOES come if we persevere. If we just take it one day at a time, even if it's 3 steps forward and 2 back, the women that He created us to be emerges a little at a time and the persistence is really worth it. I can attest to that because I have felt very hopeless and wondered why I was even trying. But then I look at the place, the life, and the people that He has brought me to presently and I am amazed and motivated to continue with the work that I still have to do. And while we are doing that, He loves us.....I mean REALLY loves us. Read that verse again, insert your name and hear the tenderness with which He speaks to you and then, just ask Him to let you feel and receive that tenderness today in a new way. Those are the requests that He loves to hear and longs to answer.