A Father Who Never Tires of Calling Us Back To Him
Thankfully, God went looking for me, and like we read in Luke 15 in the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the good Lord saw me—broken, feeling hopeless, the innocence of my youth gone with the abuse. He never gave up on me. He will never give up on you either.
Allow Him to find you and give Him a chance to give back to you everything you feel that you have lost because of any trauma you have gone through. Let Him in! You will be amazed at the beautiful things God can create with your broken pieces. Maybe you have been believing in the lie that God only seeks other people—not you. Or that you are not special enough for Him to leave the ninety-nine to go looking for you.
The good news is that you are more than special enough! Remember—God sent His only son to die an awful death, for sins He never committed, as a way to prove His love for us.
Pray that you can be attentive and recognize those people in your life that God may be using to draw you to Him. And those people may be physically present in our lives, but may also be the Saints who went before us. I love reading about the lives of the Saints and know the Saints are also my spiritual mentors as I try to go deeper into my relationship with the Lord.
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Come Back To Him
It is an understatement to say that we are living in some very tumultuous times. Families are in crises, and many individuals are struggling with anxiety and depression. You may find yourself in your own deserted place at this moment, looking for nourishment in all the wrong places. I can sympathize because I lived in that dry desert for years. It is precisely in the desert of our hearts, in our moments of desolation, that God desires for His Spirit to bloom.
God, who created us and has given us everything, only asks that we freely give Him one thing—our hearts. He has been knocking on the doors of our hearts in a world that continually rejects Him, even though it belongs to Him (see John 1:5, 11).
The Lord is always eager, always waiting, for us to return to Him. One of the ways that I know I can always return to Him is by intentionally spending time with Him in prayer. As Christians, we should place just as much, if not more, time and energy on caring for our souls as we do our physical bodies. You will be amazed at what God can do with just a little extra time and attention we give to Him by setting aside time for prayer and to receive the Sacraments.
In a culture where people increasingly focus on money and worldly success, with very little time left for God, I encourage you to consider the alternative.
“If you live for the next world, you get this one in the deal; but if you live only for this world, you lose them both.” // C.S. Lewis
Elza Spaedy grew up in Brazil in a large family of 7 brothers and 3 sisters. Since finding healing and restoration from the painful childhood trauma of sexual abuse, Elza has been on fire for the Lord, ready to let Him use her and her story to help heal others.
Elza is the author of three books- Freedom Through Christ; Healed and Restored; and Spiritual Mentoring, as well as a retreat leader. Elza founded Healed and Restored over 4 years ago- a non-profit ministry that helps women heal from all types of trauma and assault. Elza loves to entertain and enjoys preparing and sharing a great meal with family and friends. She lives with her family in Charlotte, NC. Find out more about her here www.healedandrestored.org
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