God’s version of
flowers and chocolates and candlelight dinners comes in the form of
sunsets and falling stars, moonlight on lakes and cricket symphonies;
warm wind swaying trees, lush gardens, and a fierce devotion.
flowers and chocolates and candlelight dinners comes in the form of
sunsets and falling stars, moonlight on lakes and cricket symphonies;
warm wind swaying trees, lush gardens, and a fierce devotion.
When I read that
quote in the book “Captivating” by John and Staci Eldredge, I
started to see nature in a new way. But most importantly I started to
see love in a whole new way. God’s love. God’s love for me. God’s
love for the world. I know that God loves me, and how he loves me
enough to send His Son to Earth to die for me, a sinner. I never
understood the extent of that love. That He would fight for me. That
He finds me beautiful and breathtaking. That He moved heaven and
earth to win my heart. That He wants to be my bridegroom, and that He
wants me to be His bride.
quote in the book “Captivating” by John and Staci Eldredge, I
started to see nature in a new way. But most importantly I started to
see love in a whole new way. God’s love. God’s love for me. God’s
love for the world. I know that God loves me, and how he loves me
enough to send His Son to Earth to die for me, a sinner. I never
understood the extent of that love. That He would fight for me. That
He finds me beautiful and breathtaking. That He moved heaven and
earth to win my heart. That He wants to be my bridegroom, and that He
wants me to be His bride.
What is it that
God wants from you? He wants the same thing that you want. He wants
to be loved. He wants to be known as only lovers can know each other.
He wants intimacy with you.
God wants from you? He wants the same thing that you want. He wants
to be loved. He wants to be known as only lovers can know each other.
He wants intimacy with you.
There was an
instance in Durban, ZA when God really got a hold of me and showered
me with his love, affection, humor, and romance. One day I walked out
to the beach to spend time with Jesus, in prayer. I found this slab
of concrete that jetted out into the ocean, and I walked out onto it
to talk to my Father. The wind was so strong that I was almost being
knocked over, so I layed down on the concrete. I was really not
wanting to get wet because I was wearing a new skirt that was long,
so I scooted back enough that if for any reason a wave became taller
than the other waves, I wouldn’t get wet. Mid prayer, I got pelted
with a wave. I scooted back some more, and layed down. I got pelted
with yet another wave! I quickly put a pause on my prayer and got off
that slab so I could stay dry.
instance in Durban, ZA when God really got a hold of me and showered
me with his love, affection, humor, and romance. One day I walked out
to the beach to spend time with Jesus, in prayer. I found this slab
of concrete that jetted out into the ocean, and I walked out onto it
to talk to my Father. The wind was so strong that I was almost being
knocked over, so I layed down on the concrete. I was really not
wanting to get wet because I was wearing a new skirt that was long,
so I scooted back enough that if for any reason a wave became taller
than the other waves, I wouldn’t get wet. Mid prayer, I got pelted
with a wave. I scooted back some more, and layed down. I got pelted
with yet another wave! I quickly put a pause on my prayer and got off
that slab so I could stay dry.
I started to walk
down the beach, far enough from the shore that I would still have the
same beach feel, but far enough away that even a super rebel wave
wouldn’t be near enough to me to get me wet. So I picked up my
prayer where I left off, and continued walking. But, all of a sudden,
a monster wave somehow reached me and got me all wet! I was starting
to get annoyed at this point. I got even more far from the waves
this time, so that there was no possible way I could get wet. I was
far enough away that I was walking around people’s beach blankets and
things like that. And yet, another wave came and got me even more
wet. I was annoyed for a few seconds, but then somehow I knew it was
Jesus playing a game with me. He didn’t say it to me, my whole body
just knew. I started laughing, and smiling, just like I would have if
a guy was romancing me.
down the beach, far enough from the shore that I would still have the
same beach feel, but far enough away that even a super rebel wave
wouldn’t be near enough to me to get me wet. So I picked up my
prayer where I left off, and continued walking. But, all of a sudden,
a monster wave somehow reached me and got me all wet! I was starting
to get annoyed at this point. I got even more far from the waves
this time, so that there was no possible way I could get wet. I was
far enough away that I was walking around people’s beach blankets and
things like that. And yet, another wave came and got me even more
wet. I was annoyed for a few seconds, but then somehow I knew it was
Jesus playing a game with me. He didn’t say it to me, my whole body
just knew. I started laughing, and smiling, just like I would have if
a guy was romancing me.
You have been and
you will continue to be romanced all your life. Our God finds you
lovely. Jesus has moved heaven and earth to win you for himself. He
will not rest until you are completely His. The King is enthralled by
your beauty. He finds you captivating.
you will continue to be romanced all your life. Our God finds you
lovely. Jesus has moved heaven and earth to win you for himself. He
will not rest until you are completely His. The King is enthralled by
your beauty. He finds you captivating.
It was amazing and
beautiful to see God in this way, and to feel what I should be
feeling every second of my life. I felt so close to him, like He was
the ocean that kept playfully splashing me. After I realized this was
God, I realized that He was going to stop splashing me because I had
figured Him out, and I was disappointed. But then as I was thinking
that, He splashed me yet again. It was perfect, so beautiful, and so
full of God’s presence.
beautiful to see God in this way, and to feel what I should be
feeling every second of my life. I felt so close to him, like He was
the ocean that kept playfully splashing me. After I realized this was
God, I realized that He was going to stop splashing me because I had
figured Him out, and I was disappointed. But then as I was thinking
that, He splashed me yet again. It was perfect, so beautiful, and so
full of God’s presence.
A woman of true
beauty is a woman who in the depths of her soul is at rest, trusting
God because she has come to know Him to be worthy of her trust. She
exudes a sense of calm, a sense of rest, and invites those around her
to rest as well. She speaks comfort, she knows that we live in a
world at war, that we have a vicious enemy, and our journey is
through a broken world. But she also knows that because of God all is
well, that all will be well. A woman of true beauty offers others
the grace to be and the room to become. In her presence, we can
release the tension and pressure that so often grip our hearts. We
can also breathe in the truth that God loves us and He is good.
beauty is a woman who in the depths of her soul is at rest, trusting
God because she has come to know Him to be worthy of her trust. She
exudes a sense of calm, a sense of rest, and invites those around her
to rest as well. She speaks comfort, she knows that we live in a
world at war, that we have a vicious enemy, and our journey is
through a broken world. But she also knows that because of God all is
well, that all will be well. A woman of true beauty offers others
the grace to be and the room to become. In her presence, we can
release the tension and pressure that so often grip our hearts. We
can also breathe in the truth that God loves us and He is good.
I so badly want to
be this woman! I came to Mexico being the furthest from this that I
possibly could be, and although the Lord has truly grown me in so
many ways, I’m still not there yet. I am still inviting Jesus into my
heart more and more to heal those wounds that people have left. I
still get fooled by the enemy’s lies. I get stressed out. I get
frustrated and don’t extend the same grace that the Father gives us
to my team and to other people I encounter. I have a long way to go,
and yet I know that the Lord is not done transforming me I know He
has been working overtime, because other people can see it from the
outside. At our commissioning serve in Mexico, before leaving for
South Africa, I heard from multiple people how much my beauty has
literally increased because I have found my identity in Christ. I
came into the homeless church in Atlanta, Georgia a scared, damaged,
confused, and not confident girl. I left for Africa a more confident,
healed, and authorative woman. And you can see it in my face. The
Lord is still working to transform me into His beautiful bride that
will fight for Him and seek His face with all my mind, heart, and
soul, even when the going gets hard. Before leaving for Mexico, I
didn’t know it was possible for me to be in the place that I am at
with the Lord now, but I know it is possible and I want to pursue Him
with all that is in me. He is so good, and I can’t get enough of Him!
be this woman! I came to Mexico being the furthest from this that I
possibly could be, and although the Lord has truly grown me in so
many ways, I’m still not there yet. I am still inviting Jesus into my
heart more and more to heal those wounds that people have left. I
still get fooled by the enemy’s lies. I get stressed out. I get
frustrated and don’t extend the same grace that the Father gives us
to my team and to other people I encounter. I have a long way to go,
and yet I know that the Lord is not done transforming me I know He
has been working overtime, because other people can see it from the
outside. At our commissioning serve in Mexico, before leaving for
South Africa, I heard from multiple people how much my beauty has
literally increased because I have found my identity in Christ. I
came into the homeless church in Atlanta, Georgia a scared, damaged,
confused, and not confident girl. I left for Africa a more confident,
healed, and authorative woman. And you can see it in my face. The
Lord is still working to transform me into His beautiful bride that
will fight for Him and seek His face with all my mind, heart, and
soul, even when the going gets hard. Before leaving for Mexico, I
didn’t know it was possible for me to be in the place that I am at
with the Lord now, but I know it is possible and I want to pursue Him
with all that is in me. He is so good, and I can’t get enough of Him!
You have been and
you will continue to be romanced all your life. Our God finds you
lovely. Jesus has moved heaven and earth to win you for himself. He
will not rest until you are completely his. The King is enthralled by
your beauty. He finds you captivating.
you will continue to be romanced all your life. Our God finds you
lovely. Jesus has moved heaven and earth to win you for himself. He
will not rest until you are completely his. The King is enthralled by
your beauty. He finds you captivating.
Jesus is extending
his hand to you. He is inviting you to dance with him. He asks, “May
I have this dance…every day of your life?” His gaze is fixed on
you. He is captivated by your beauty. He is smiling. He cares nothing
of the opinion of others. He is standing. He will lead. He waits for
your response. How will you respond? Will you leave Jesus waiting
outside your front door? Or will you run out to him and let Him take
you wherever He wants, and let Him sweep you off your feet? Jesus is
waiting for you.
Cait, WOW, what a powerful blog. As I cling to every word you write, I am seeing a beautiful young woman. This is not the same sensitive, shy, confused girl that I said good bye to that warm September evening back in Limerick. Reading your words and trying to understand them through a fathers’ eye is incredibly comforting. We love you so much and can’t wait to see your beauty in person!!!
Dad
Cait,
You so get it!!!! You are an inspiration. You have convicted my heart I need to get back to that special place. My one true husband and Father. Stay in love with Him!
Awesome, Cait. God is so good. Your blog reminded me of a song I was just singing a weeping to yesterday…here’s a bit of it below. The song is called “Eden” by Phil Wickham:
“…I want to see you face to face
where being in your arms is the permanent state
I want it like it was back then,
I want to be in Eden.
To be naked and unashamed
in a sweet downpour of innocent rain
I want it like it was back then,
I want to be in Eden.”
We are His delight.
carl
Wow, Cait. I love you soooo much. Keep preachin’ it, sister of mine 🙂
This is awesome! What a beautiful picture of God’s wooing. And to think the amazing gifts God gives us – lavish gifts. It’s overwhelming and wonderful.
Looking forward to seeing all of you in a couple weeks for debrief!
Jimmy
Cait…
I just finished reading your blog with tears in my eyes. This very thing is exactly what most of us girls in Uganda are trying to work out. We met the other morning just with the women on our teams and as people were sharing where we were are all this identity stuff just coming up. I know for myself I was feeling frustrated because I have walked in this before and spent a season claiming my identity in Christ and I think I just walked out of it and thought it was a lesson I already checked off my list. But you are right… every day it is a choice on if we choose to let God lead us in how we see our self or if we are going to look to someone or something else to define who we are. I was really encouraged to read about your journey with this Cait… and it truly was a beautiful thing to witness this as it began to unfold at the gateway and it is beautiful to be able to read about how He is continuing to romance you. I pray you have the courage to keep choosing to follow his lead each day…
Go hard.
Wonderful and inspiring! These are words to live by! ily