Jesus Takes Our Junk

I'm so excited to write to you all today!
Just a forewarning: this post could be a little gross and TMI, but it will be so worth it. I promise. I have a reason here. Just bear with me, if you will.
So...living in a house that's 90% girls means we have messy bathrooms and cry sessions every night (okay, well, not every night, but close!). It also means that our shower can get really super clogged with hair after weeks and weeks of washing. (I know, ew!) We end up having to call our sweet dad (the only male in the house) to come and clean out the drain every couple months. He's awesome and always bears with it no matter how gross it is....which, trust me, it is! But on our most recent drain clean out, his willingness and gentleness in this humbling task caught me off guard. Rather, the Lord kinda caught me off guard through the moment. It was the most odd and surprising situation to hear from Him, but honestly, I really did-the Lord spoke this sweet beautiful truth into my heart that night, one that I so often forget but that is so so true, and I would love to share that with you. :)
You see, in my pops cleaning the shower, I saw more than just a kind dad who (somewhat begrudgingly) completes a necessary chore; I saw the love of our Savior in the most awesome way. Standing there over him at 11pm, when he could've been in bed or reading or doing something else more relaxing, he chose to come back to kindly do this thing he really could have left to my sister and I...yet we probably wouldn't do it near as well as he could. He could've complained there on his knees as he reached into piles of yucky hair mess. He could've ranted on us about not cleaning the shower enough or not telling him enough. But he didn't. And neither did Jesus make us wallow in our own sin. I'm so glad He didn't!
So let's take a look at this a little closer. As I thought more about this sweet truth, the Lord kept presenting me with more connections between my little shower cleaning experience and Jesus's mighty love for me, for all of us. Here's some of what I found...
-He does what we can't. He takes on the impossible for us and does it for our sake, out of nothing but pure LOVE. I had trouble believing it, but my dad made it sound like he really wanted to clean the shower for me. And so I think it is the same sometimes with us and Jesus, that He willingly forgives our sin and restores our hearts through His mighty salvation. We might not like or understand the idea of giving it all over to Him, but He does it. And it helps us SO MUCH.
-He takes our junk. We are undeserving and make mistakes, we feel like we should and really deserve to clean up our own mess. But Jesus gives us the greatest gift in saying that we don't have to clean up that mess. He takes it for us, gladly. He knows we can't clean our showers alone, and it is His joy to help us in that.
-He won't leave us in our junk. Out of His great great love for us, He chooses to take away all that nastiness that's clogging up our lives. He takes it out so that we might live freely, with His goodness flowing through us more fluidly than a freshly-cleaned drain.
-My father said he just wished that we had told him about the drain earlier so he could have cleaned it for us sooner. How often do you think God looks down/has looked that same way down upon us, wishing that we would stop putting it off or stressing about it and just bring our struggles, mistakes, worries, and sins to Him? He's the only one who can really take them and handle them, and He's so beyond willing and eager to go ahead and take these burdens for us.
-It's all about Him, not us. 'Cuz He is able to do more than we could ever do and everything we cannot do in our abilities. When we feel bad that we can't clean our showers, He's totally okay with it. He doesn't bully us for not being able to get it right all the time. He just willingly takes our sin where we are and guides us in that through His great love, that we might know His Love and His Way better.

{Can I just say there is nothing like a clean shower?!}
If a dad cares for a child like this, how much more will God not care for us? His word declares this powerful truth for us: “'Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!'”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:9-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬
Friends, He LOVES you and wants to take whatever burden you may be facing now, whether it's a sin or a struggle or a fear or really anything at all! “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," child! (1 Peter 5:7) Won't you run to His arms?
That night I was left feeling a lot better and a lot more at peace, reminded of my Father in heaven even through my earthly father. I thank Jesus for this sweet message of hope and light in the scary world that today can be, and I pray for you as I write these words, that you too would be filled with the fullness of His love. Love you always, though He loves you even more. ❤️

Dancing Through Discouragement

I love my dance class. Really, I do. It's just that I'm not quite the dancer yet...and that's been causing me some troubles lately.
Last year I began taking Dance 1 as a freshman, and now as a returning student and part of Dance 2, I'm starting to learn some more advanced moves. Calypsos and jete leaps and tilts are beautiful, believe me, it's just that I can't really do them--like, at all. For this perfection-craving girl, not being able to do something is a MAJOR problem.

{The studio at school. AKA the site of my ultimate embarrassment each day.}

I mean, do I look like I can do a calypso leap to you? ;)
I find myself getting easily and constantly frustrated in my dance class. (It's one of the classes I look forward to most and also happen to dread the most at the same time!) I love dancing and seeing others dance, but when it's me out there on that wooden floor, I freeze up/freak out and end up basically wanting to run off, curl up in a ball, and cry. Why can't I get this right? What's wrong with me? I'm a horrible dancer! Just look at those girls, they can actually dance. I can't! Ugh!
I want it so badly and yet I feel so knocked down and hopeless whenever I try. It's not that I'm not used to putting forth the effort; it's just that I'm used to actually seeing results because I put in effort. But in dance class, that's not happening. And I'm pretty sure this won't be the only time in life I witness a similar situation.
So what can I do now? As I leave the dance studio each day, I'm faced with a longing and a question of what comes next. Lately, I'm starting to see things in a new light. The Lord has graciously, gently, and ever so sweetly reminded me of His grace during this time but in a way I didn't really expect. I have not felt suddenly better or instantly mastered the latest dance skill, but rather instead He's showing me the beauty of my weakness. One day, for example, as I left the studio, this one question hit me like a ton of bricks: Who said this wasn't good enough? That you aren't good enough?
That really hit me hard and caused me to think--because, really, who did decide that my dancing was so bad after all? And as I started to run this thought through my mind some more, I was reminded of this verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
Like whaaattt??!!
So this verse just totally topples all my thoughts and concerns and opinions upside down. My weakness makes Christ known? It doesn't make sense (like most things in this faith!) but in the most beautiful way.
In a small group time I helped with for some younger kids at our church, we talked about Colossians 3:23 and the concept of serving God in all we do and working in all things as if we were serving the Lord and not men, all to bring glory to Him. We had been talking to the kids about spiritual gifts and talents, what they did well, and how they could use that to honor God, and then the Lord just brought this idea to mind to share: the concept of glorifying God even in things we aren't great at. It wasn't something I had thought about much then, but in the coming days as I journeyed through harder and harder lessons in dance, I was convicted with the message I was really needing to preach to myself, not just to those fifth and sixth graders. If I want to serve Him in all I do, can't I serve Him too in even the things I don't do well? I might add that we can serve Him even more so in failure than when we do succeed. That's definitely what this verse says!
I am still learning to accept this weakness but not only that but to rejoice in it. He is worthy of the honor and glory and praise, even when my achievement and performance is less than praiseworthy. So friends, I would invite you to join me in viewing mistakes and failures a little differently, more like how our loving Father sees them. Let's allow Him to unbundle our stress, unload our suitcases of concern, and release our tight muscles that have so anxiously driven us to perfection. Let us just take a moment to rest in His arms...because perhaps not so much doing but rather relying on Him could bring even more glory and honor to Him than we could ever imagine or create on our own.

An Introduction

Hi there!
I'm so so glad you're here! For this first post I just wanted to make some introductions and welcome you to Daughter in Faith!
First off, allow me to introduce myself. ;)

{That's me on the left!}

I'm Hope, and yes, if you couldn't tell by the picture, I'm a twin! I'm also a sophomore in high school, aspiring writer, photographer, dog-lover, and babysitter...but most importantly, I am a believer in Christ. He is my good, good Father, and it is my joy to be His beloved daughter. Which brings me to why I started this little place called Daughter in Faith...
This world places many labels on each of us, and it's so easy to accept these labels as measures of our identity-whether they are good or bad. The world says we are just what we do or what we've accomplished, and while this is a part of us, that is not who we really truly are. And it's certainly not who we are in the Lord's eyes...because really He just sees us as His children and nothing else. And His child is the most precious title we could ever hold! As His child, we are loved and redeemed and cared for; the Bible tells us that His children/followers lack no good thing. Being a babysitter and an editor for the paper and a Christian are all important parts of my life, but they don't define my value, and while it's definitely hard for me to remember that at times, the Lord is constantly showing me and reminding me of the beautiful truth of how I'm seen in His eyes. And I pray that that is what He does for you in your life and that you'll maybe even get a little glimpse of His glorious goodness for you here on this blog as we journey through life together. ;)
The Lord is constantly surprising and amazing me with His gifts of truth and grace and love, and I am so excited to share those with you here. It certainly won't be perfect, but I trust the Lord will use this for His glory.
So sweet friends, know that I am praying for each of you reading this post and know that the Lord has crazy love for you. No matter where you are right now, He loves you. He takes you as you are. He loves you reading emails and cooking dinner for your family. He loves you at church and at school. He loves you in the mornings and the evenings, He sees you when you lie down to sleep and wake up each morning. And He LOVES you. He looks down with a smile on His face, blessed by the sight of His children. So child, won't you please come to Him today? Surrender all at the feet of the Savior, who loves and cares for you and will take care of all your needs. And if you will, join me on this journey as we discover more of the Lord's love and grace for our lives. His goodness is ever abundant and I trust in Him to take us where He is calling us to go!

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." {Ephesians 3:20-21}

With love,
Hope