Something Left to Offer…

Unfortunately, that critical voice is not a stranger to me, I have given it power and influence over my life for far too long. For years I’ve felt that I have a story inside of me just waiting to be told. But even louder has been the voice that says no one will care, what makes your story special, it’s not the right time, do you even have anything worth saying, etc. I’ve sat down many times to write, and the words just don’t come. Instead, the attempt ends up being another reminder of the failure and shame that I’ve let define me. I’ve told myself that I just need to wait until my life is cleaned up and I’ve worked through my stuff so that there’s a “happy ending.” I’ve questioned if I really have anything of value to offer or would sharing my story just be a hypocritical, self-serving attempt to make sense of my life. Do I have something left to offer? So why now? Because spoiler alert… I haven’t reached my happy ending. My daughter and I share a love for music. One day she texted me a link to a song and said, “you should listen to this song when you get a chance, it came out today.” Amid the busyness of my day, I put it aside and came back to it a few days later. I remember listening to it for the first time and feeling something inside me stir. I’ve felt this familiar feeling numerous times before. For as long as I can remember God has spoken to me through music and I’ve often felt closest to Him when I am engaged in genuine, authentic worship. I listened to it a couple of times and really resonated with the lyrics to the point where I felt like the song could have been written about me. It was in this moment that I realized that now was the time to share mine and God’s love story. One that has often felt too intimate and vulnerable to share. As Christians, we all have a love story with God. The times where he chases us down, when we fall on our knees in worship and adoration of our Heavenly Father, when we are so defeated and broken that we question why we were even created or what on Earth we are still doing here. The moment when we acknowledge our sin nature and need for his redemption and for many of us the moments of surrender that follow as we try our best to glorify Him while we battle the sinful desires of our flesh. Every story has something to offer as ultimately our stories point to the one and only author and perfector of our faith, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is for His glory that I am finally putting pen to paper and sharing my story. The enemy would love nothing more than for me stop right here. I won’t give him that satisfaction!! Ultimately, it’s not about how many people open this book, it’s not even about me, it’s about His story. Thank you for opening this book and going on this journey with me. I pray that something in all of this speaks to you! ~Andrea “…looking unto Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith…” -Hebrews 12:2 (ASV) A Map for Our Journey Together… Ok, so where do we go from here? Is this an autobiography, a devotional, a journal, a playlist? In a way, it’s all the above. As I stated before, music speaks to me. God has often used music to lead me, lay things on my heart, calm me, and allow me to feel His presence. Throughout my story, different songs have captured different parts of my story, maybe God used them to teach me something, reveal something, or just validate what I was feeling. But Andrea, there are some unique collaborations on your playlist… YES!!! Yes, there are some songs in here that may cross the lines of traditional contemporary Christian music. I have learned not to put God in a box and give Him boundaries that He must operate within. NOPE! Countless times He not only chased me down, but He spoke to me in what some would consider unconventional ways. So, bear with me, there are some “unique” songs and collaborations in here, but I promise I will always bring the story back to God and ground it in His word. Each devotion is inspired by a song and part of my story. I will start by sharing my story and parts of the song as they relate. Following that I will provide an interactive portion titled, Time Alone with God. In your time alone with God, I will encourage you to start with Talk to God. I do not provide a pre-written prayer because this is a time for you to be honest with God… even if it feels ugly. I have said some pretty ugly things in my talks with God. Remember he wants honest relationship with you, even if it’s ugly!!! From there I will provide the title to the song so you can Take a Listen. As promised the main goal is to connect us back to God and His Word, the Bible, so I will provide scripture in Connect with God’s Word. In Ponder These Prompts, I will provide a few questions or prompts for you to consider as you Put Ink on Paper. This journaling section is meant to be a place where you can honestly begin to share your story. Finally, each Time Alone with God section will end with your Aha! or AI (Actionable Intelligence) Moment. What? It sounded cool, so I went with it. Your Aha! or AI Moment is something that you are taking away, maybe something God revealed to you or an action step He is calling you to take.