There are very few people that make my heart smile and fill with gratitude for the eternal impact that they have made in my life.
God connected us in university via your sister Solange and I felt an instant connection to you. Over the years, I have seen how much we have in common, including being introverts who shrink from the limelight, and always fearful that Solange will bring us into it! Hahaha.
There is so much I am grateful for as I think back about you.
You are beautiful!
You are a woman clothed with dignity and grace.
You have the most amazing sense of humour and I am so glad we share that! We can exchange looks from afar and just crack up.
You have an inner strength that carries you through life's curves.
You have an enduring faith that inspires.
You are disciplined and very courageous. I can't imagine raising foster children with problems I cannot understand, yet you have done that and made an investment in so many. Wow!
You are an extraordinary mother and wife! I mean, just look at all your amazing men! Neil, Joshua, Jordan and Jared! All extraordinary!
You possess wisdom that comes from deep reflection. I love to share thoughts with you, knowing you understand.
You share a kindred spirit with me!
You have deep and enduring relationships with your family and friends and work colleagues.
You always have something positive to say about me, even when I have felt my worst and looked so!
There is not one time we have connected that you have not encouraged or inspired me or made me smile and most importantly, made me feel loved and valued. You are truly saturated with His aroma.
In fact, my dear, you are one of the most lovable people I know on this earth and I am so grateful and in awe that you call me 'friend' and 'sister'.
So I would like to bless you with these verses in this milestone year from Ephesians 1 (AMP) My words are in brackets in green:
15 For this reason, because I have heard (know) of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, (Sharine), remembering you in my prayers; 17 [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. 18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people), 19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength 20 which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].
May this song remind you that you are CHOSEN, NOT FORSAKEN and you are who HE says you are:
Prayer:
Father, thank you so much for this precious child You created and formed with such great care and love. She has shown me so much of You. Indeed she is Your Child. Thank You for your faithfulness to her over the years. Thank You for bringing her to this milestone. Like so many others, this year with this pandemic has wrought havoc on our physical and mental health, and I pray that You would sustain Sharine and her family and equip her with all she needs to thrive. Bend down your ear to listen to her heart's cries and concerns. Give her a divine encounter that deeply impacts. Draw her husband and sons closer to Your heart with that firm foundation she has passed on to them from her own mother. Let her see You daily in her walks, in her talks and in the routines of life. I ask You now to cover her with a blanket of Your reassuring Hope for a future blessed with Your Presence. I commit her to Your tender, loving care.
For many that aloneness translated to a loneliness
Laced with fear.
For others that aloneness gave us pause for thought.
We remembered what we said to each other at Christmas,
Emmanuel...God with us.
It dawned slowly in us that
In the isolation and desolation
that ever was or will be,
The one thing that remains
When all else has faded...
Our one Hope, Our one Comfort,
Our one Peace, Our one Joy,
Emmanuel, "God With Us".
God with us in our room,
God with us in the hospital,
God with us in the losses.
We realize that we can turn our eyes away
From the circumstances
On to His Presence...
Behind the smog of isolation
Behind the smog of loss
Behind the smog of loneliness
Behind the smog of pain
Behind the smog of anxiety
Behind the smog of fear
Behind the smog of despair.
For He is there.
Hovering, waiting
To be seen.
To reach out and embrace you
To look into your eyes
and straight into your soul.
To let you know that
You are fully known
and fully loved...
By God Himself...
Then you will know...
You never were or ever will be alone.
God with me.
Nothing else is needed.
God is enough.
(Sita Henderson 2021)
"Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father and then we will be satisfied.”.John 14:8
God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 1 Peter 5:7
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed [intimidated], for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
But He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in[your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
