Hold Me Close . . . Says Jesus

First, I want to give you Understanding.  My love for you is extravagant not cautious. 

I don’t want you spending your time wondering too long over your issues and asking yourself “what should I do?”  When you find yourself waking up morning after morning with the same problem on your mind.  I want you to stop.  I want to give you understanding. 

When you hear yourself repeating the same problems to the same women, and getting nowhere in return, discontinue those conversations.    I am not cautious with you – I am not thinking that I’m going to hold onto my wisdom a little bit longer – I am extravagant with my wisdom.  Cry out for it. As you begin to receive understanding from me, you will notice that you are more understanding with other women who are different than you.  See your relationship with other women, older and younger, as a place where I am training you in your attitudes toward others.  See your relationships as a reflection of the trinity.

Second, I use Affliction or suffering in my leadership with you.  I use it to bring out the best woman in you.  Specific afflictions have been appointed for you and with each one you have a choice to make – you can harden your heart, which leads to bitterness, or you can open your heart deeper to my leadership.  My leading brings eternal fruit.  When suffering comes other women will speak into your life.  Before you listen to another, go back and see what my last word to you was – obey that word.  It was given to you for your protection.  The road will seem long and you will be tempted to think I have forgotten you. Remember that suffering teaches you endurance.  Hold On.  As other girls and women watch you overcome, the next generation is handed the baton of faith.  Hold on.

Third, I have chosen to give you Comfort: My lessons teach you as a woman to go all out in love.  There’s a tenderness given to a woman in the first seconds of each new day as she rolls over, places her thoughts on me and waits.  That’s the comfort I have for you each and every morning.  Receive my comfort letting it ease your physical and emotional pain; weep in my presence and let the tears serve as ministers to your pain; it is then that I can respond with comfort.  My comfort then turns your spirit because it knows it has been heard, seen, released.

Fourth, my words of Compassion stir up your beauty.   A woman who knows my words, knows my heart.  You can know my compassion as you receive my comfort; the two are closely linked: Inward comfort releases outward compassion, equaling ravishing beauty.

Finally, it is my goal for you to be Blameless, to free you of guilt. When you receive the gift of blamelessness – it frees you from striving to make things right, trying to be better than you really are – frees you from saturating yourself in feelings of failure.

There is no machine to carry your burden.  That’s my job, my work, and my ministry.  Now it’s your job to face the real enemies.

photography: Urban Bay