Her Story

“The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

This week marks the final week in the very first Found On My Knees Bible study. As I sit here and type, I’m truly in awe of all that God has done. Many of you joined me each Tuesday night as we poured over God’s Word together. Others of you met with us online as we journeyed from brokenness to blessing. Either way, praise God for the work He has done and will continue to do in your hearts! May we be women who are forever found on our knees at the feet of Jesus in passionate pursuit of our Savior and King!

So, we meet again on the pages of Her Story today. You might remember today’s story. Several weeks ago, I shared Her Story with you – a beautiful story of God’s redeeming love in rescuing one of His daughters. The beauty of her story is that it hasn’t ended yet. God is still at work in her life, molding and shaping her into the woman He desires for her to be. For those who haven’t read it yet, take a few minutes to read Her Story now before continuing….

Powerful, right? One of the major, life-changing events in her story that was left out was a broken engagement just a few years ago. She had been walking with the Lord for a few years when she was reunited with a young man that she knew in high school. He was also on the path of finding Jesus Christ and turning his life around. Their dating relationship led to engagement, and she found herself immersed in wedding plans and bridal showers. Hidden beneath the surface, though, were some deep issues that began to tear the two of them apart. Just six weeks before their wedding date, they broke off their engagement and cancelled the wedding. Invitations had already been sent out. Gifts had already been given. Reservations had already been made. Yet, God continued to make it very clear to her that this was not the man He had for her. Although she knew she made the right decision, it was no less difficult. The pain, the loss, the feelings of rejection…would she ever be good enough to be loved for who she was? Would anyone ever be able to see past all her stuff and choose to embrace her and love her?

The next year of her life would prove to be a long, hard road of choosing obedience over comfort. God had done so much in her life up until this point that there was no way she was going to walk away from Him now. But it wasn’t easy. She graduated from college, and moved away from friends, family, and home once again, choosing to follow God to where He was leading her. This is the part of her story that I love remembering, and I love telling. There is something so incredibly beautiful about watching God’s hand of blessing and favor be placed on someone’s life, someone who is daily choosing to walk in obedience to His Word. That first year after her broken engagement was a year of fully relying on the Lord. She became devoted to reading and studying God’s Word. She dove into Bible study and prayer. The more she exposed herself to the truth of God’s Word, the more healing God brought into her life. She was still single and still desperately wanting to be married to the right man, but she was finally returning to her first love, Jesus Christ. I remember seeing such a change in her within that first year…her tone in conversation, her attitude, even her appearance had a new glow. She was radiating Jesus. She was reflecting Him into every part of her life. God was restoring her.

It was just after that first year that God brought an amazing man into her life. It could have almost seemed that Stu came out of nowhere, but it was a divine appointment in God’s perfect timing. While God was at work in Rachel’s life the previous year bringing healing to her brokenness, He was also at work in Stu’s life, preparing Him to be the godly husband that Rachel would need. You might say that there aren’t two people on this earth more perfectly suited for each other. Their similarities and differences mix together to make the perfect match. I remember the first time I met Stu, months before he “popped the question”, and I knew in my heart that this was the one that Rachel had been waiting for. Like no man before in her life, Stu has loved Rachel with a love like Christ loves His church. Fully aware of her past, he has chosen to lavish her with his love and embrace her as his greatest gift. Looking at their story, I can’t help but see how it reflects God’s love for us. We continue to wander and stray from His perfect love, but He calls us back to Himself time and time again by His mercy and in His grace. Stu isn’t perfect, but he’s perfect for Rachel. This July, they will be united as one in marriage and begin the rest of their lives together. Beauty from ashes. Blessing from brokenness. This is our God.

Rachel, there are few others in my life that display the love of Jesus like you do. Your ability to extend grace, love, and forgiveness astounds me. Your willingness to be teachable and moldable, always the student of God’s Word, blesses me more than you know. I know you think that I have taught you so much about the love of our God, but He has used you in my life to bring me to my knees time and time again. Thank you for your friendship that I pray lasts a lifetime. I am so grateful for you, and can’t wait to celebrate the day that you and Stu become one in Christ!