Happy Anniversary!

A year ago this week, I wrote my first blog for Simply J.O.Y. (Jesus Over You).  It was a step of faith that was taken in nervous obedience to a calling that had been on my heart for a long time.  The enemy worked hard to stop me; burying me in doubt, insecurity, and fear to ensure I wouldn’t take God’s hand and trust Him on this journey.  I’m so very glad God didn’t give up on me; and I am so very blessed to be able to come to you each week and share what the Lord has placed on my heart.

I hope you will bear with me today as I reflect.  I feel overcome with gratitude for the platform I have been given to share my love of Jesus and the abundant faithfulness of God.  I take it as a nod from God that myYouVersion verse of the day today was Esther 4:14, one of my favorite verses, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such as time as this.”  

If you’ve read previous blogs, I mention Esther from time to time.  She is one of my favorite people in the Bible and it is my favorite book of the Bible.  Her story always inspires me.  If you’ve never read the story of Esther, I encourage you to take a little time to do so.  

Esther was called upon by God to take a huge leap of faith; far greater than I suspect I will ever be asked.  And I don’t want to compare writing a blog with saving the Hebrew nation.  However, I can relate to being asked by God to do something and feeling woefully unqualified and unprepared.  Just like Esther, whether I wrote a blog or not, God would get His message to those who needed to hear it.  He would make a way.  But what He wanted, in the case of Simply J.O.Y., was for me to be a way.  Not THE way, just A way.  

And like He promised Esther, He promised me that we were in this together.  And, if I allowed, He would lead me and give me all I needed to carry out His desires.  There were many Tuesday afternoons where I wondered with a little bit of panic, “What am I supposed to write about tonight?!”  As I sat down at the computer and prayed, God effortlessly provided the words that my fingers typed.  He knew what needed to be said that week.  And He always provided the inspiration.  After 51 weeks of writing (He did give me a vacation week over Christmas!), His promises remain true.  

The funny thing about writing Simply J.O.Y. is that I started it because I felt God’s nudging to share my love of Jesus through His gifting of writing.  Yes, I think He uses me to reach people with a word they need to hear, encouragement that they aren’t alone, an understanding of the power of the Word of God.  However, what the last year has taught me is that God used Simply J.O.Y. to change me.

Simply J.O.Y. has given me a deeper relationship with my Father in Heaven.  It has drawn me closer to Him as I rely fully on Him to provide in my writing, which has led me to rely more intensely on Him in other areas of my life.  He has shown me his provision is faithful, no matter how significant or simple the need.

Simply J.O.Y. has ignited a fire in me to burrow deep into the Word of God, going beyond reading the scripture to studying it.  I have so very far to go, but my hunger is greater than it has ever been.  I want to understand and share the context of scripture, the words that were used in Hebrew and Greek and how that changes everything you thought you knew about a scripture.  The culture and social mores that bring life to parables and the words of Jesus.  I am like a kid in a candy store and God’s word is the sweetest satisfaction.

Simply J.O.Y. has shown me that I can be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world without having to be the one who fixes everything and rescues everyone.  The Lord may use me to bring someone to Christ or serve as a mediator in a challenging situation.  Or He may use our words to plant a seed that others will water.  It is enough to do the part to which I am called.  I do not have to do it all.  He is God.  I am his servant.

Simply J.O.Y. has blessed me with encouragement and love from people I only know because they choose to make time to read the blog.  Kind words.  Affirmation that a message touched them.  A simple “Amen!”  These sweet sentiments touch me deeply and if you’ve ever commented on a post, know that you’ve brought a smile to my face and have filled my heart. 

To everyone who has read one, two, or every post over the past 12 months, thank you.  Thank you for sharing your love of Jesus with me.  For including me in your precious walk with our Savior.  For letting me follow my heart and walk in obedience with my Father.  For accepting me as I am and allowing me to be real and vulnerable, without judgement.  

Whether there is one person or 700 people following this blog, my hope remains the same.  That the Lord will use Simply J.O.Y. to honor Him and encourage you.  

My dear friend and I were recently talking, and I said, “Can you believe it’s been a year?!”  She commented, “So awesome…keep it going.”  I’ll tell you what I told her.  

“I will.  Until He tells me to stop.”