My love, come.

Come sit with me.

Curl up on my lap. Put your ear to my chest and listen to my heart beating. It is constant. It’s strong. It is perfectly paced. Be still my love. Be very, very still. Your shoulders are so tight and you’re forgetting even how to simply breathe.

Watch me do it.

Now you.

Learn of me, anxious one. You are frightened, and your heart is heavy. But why? I have not gone anywhere! I’ve never left you. Why are you so afraid? Do you feel that I am only capable when you personally have more control of a situation? Do you feel safer when everything is going well or according to plan? Do you really believe that my power ebbs and flows according to circumstance? Beautiful one, I am unshakeable. I have never fallen off my throne.

Well, maybe that ONE time when you… I’m just kidding.

See, I’m God, but I am playful too. Serious is necessary sometimes. But do you know what is also necessary? Laughter. Did you know that I designed laughter itself to heal the body? When you laugh, your stress hormones decrease while your immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies increase. Now you know.

Laughter is medicine. Joy is strength.

Joy is not the absence of hardship, nor is peace the absence of a storm. Both joy and peace are the undeniable manifest presence of My Spirit in the midst of a hurricane. This is the divine miracle, that God and man could be so close, so intimately and permanently connected that nothing, and no power, not in heaven or on the earth can ever separate us. My presence, my very words are your life and food. And you always have me.

Circumstance will never change how close I am. I don’t tell my kids “do not fear” because they will never suffer. I tell them not to fear because we are always together. And with me, you will overcome , because I always do and I already have.

Love, do you know why I don’t need to send ‘lighting from heaven’ to communicate with my kids or get their attention? Because I’m not far away. I whisper because I’m that close. Whispering is loud enough when you’re as close as I am. I’m not the God who looks down from a far away distance. I’m the God sitting beside you at the table, looking you straight in the eye, face to face. That is my perspective. Always close.

Darling, I see you teary eyed, crying out for change. My love, it is never my heart to see your suffer. Of course, without a doubt, I want to see you and this whole world restored forever. Any good earthly father feels the exact same way about their kids, never wanting them to experience hurt or pain. This is why the trajectory I have humanity on is moving this world completely away from pain, suffering, and tears. One day suffering will cease to have any redeeming qualities and it will cease all together. But for now, the earth is still healing from the curse. Your reality has not yet caught up with mine. It will, rest assure, but for now, where there is free will and as long as the evil one is the prince of this world, suffering is inevitable. It doesn’t mean you are helpless. I have asked all my kids to partner with me to undo the works of Satan. Keep praying for the sick. Keep casting out demons and speaking life, goodness, and beauty into existence. Keep declaring, “on earth as it is in heaven”, for this is a slow but sure unfolding. Little by little heaven is invading earth. It has come in part, but one day it will be here in full. And let me remind you, while you are in the process where suffering still exists, in my divine grace and wisdom, I’ve touched all suffering, so that no longer is it meaningless, or hopeless, but rather, suffering always leads to something good. New. Something beautiful. I would have it no other way.

Let’s look at the worst that can happen. Death, right? Ah. I’ve even touched death in an extra special way, since it’s one of the things I hate most. This was the grand finale of the resurrection: death was the final enemy my Son defeated. And so now, guess what, death itself has become the very door that leads you to my tangible presence. It’s the gateway where your exact reality finally reaches mine. Forever. Think on that. Think on that for a long while.

This is why I tell my kids not to be afraid. I will never leave suffering unredeemed. I will always be everything my kids need me to be. Your circumstance cannot rob you of joy. LIES rob you of joy.

Remember the account of Peter walking on water? He only started to sink when he started to believe lies. When He was looking at me, he hardly noticed anything else around him. Start to see me. Start to experience my manifest presence. Listen for my words, my voice, my opinion and narrative of what is happening around you. Reach out in your prayer closet and let me embrace you. Your imagination is not this meaningless, “only-for-children” part of your mind. It’s where you get to see the invisible. It is a powerful tool indeed and one of my greatest gifts to you.

Learn of me, my love. You are a city on a hill. You are the radiant one who looks to me with your face glowing so bright that the whole world can see. Come, learn of me. Breathe like I breathe. See how I see. Hold only what I give you. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Love, Papa.

Matthew 11:28-30 | James 1:2-18 | 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 | 1 John 4:13 | Isaiah 41:10 | Philippians 4:11 | Psalm 34:18 | Matthew 4:4 |