It came in a dream, the way God speaks to me most often. It’s funny how I knew it was from him but couldn’t quite figure out who it was for. Was it for our purity retreat? No. Something didn’t quite work out there. When I realized who this message was for, it was already too late. The person to whom this message was given had already fallen into the trap, but I gave her the message anyway. At first, she seemed to be in shock saying it was on point yet continued in her endeavors. She chose not to heed the warning that was so clearly written out for her.
She knew that if everything else lined up with what she was seeing in her life, then soon she should expect heartache. I still question why she continued anyway. I wonder if it was because she thought what she was doing was worth it? Then I wonder if she thought somehow the fall wouldn’t happen to her. Regardless of her reasons, she didn’t listen. Today this girl found herself at a place of destruction. She knew this was what God warned her about. She was prepared for something not as painful as what she found herself in, and she was angry at herself for not listening.
The dream came like a production of some sort. Knelt on the floor with her head down was a girl. A spotlight was on her and no other light was on. She is unaware of anything going on around her as God is creating her. We hear God talking to himself about his perfect creation, and then we hear Satan as he talks to himself about the same thing.
God: Look at how beautiful she is. I’m completely enthralled by the beauty I’ve created. Every strand of hair, every freckle, the color of her skin, she’s magnificent! My hands paid extra attention to the construction of her eyes. With them she will see pain carried by those around her.
Satan: Look at her. God thinks she’s so perfect. I’ll shove images in her face that say she’s not beautiful. I’ll tell her beauty is everything she’s not: blonde hair, blue eyes, no freckles, perfect skin. Let’s see how she feels then.
God: I created her mouth to hold power. It will bring truth and encouragement to millions. Her purpose will be fulfilled by the words that flow from it.
Satan: I know the plans God has for her. She’s meant to speak boldly to people. How easy will that be for her if she is overtaken by fear? I’ll give her an extra shot of fear and doubt when she speaks to others. She will be so consumed with it her courage to speak will be non-existent.
God: When I knitted her together in her mother’s womb, I gave her the most special, wonderful, important piece to her being. It’s something to be tightly guarded. The intricate design of her heart is filled with things mysterious to man, but I fully understand it in every way. Her heart will overflow with compassion for others in need. It is from her heart people’s lives will be drastically changed.
Satan: Ah, the most important piece God gave this girl – her heart. His plan is for compassion? I think I’ll send a young man her way. I’ll make sure he says and does all the things she wants to hear. I’ll find someone who appears to have the same beliefs as she does. She’ll find trust in him and give her heart away without even realizing it. At the right time he will crush her heart into pieces too small to repair. She won’t be capable of feeling compassion for others when her heart is destroyed.
The thing about this most amazing girl is that she knows who she is and who God created her to be. She looked again at the words from this dream and said it wasn’t completely written. I tried my hardest not to get defensive when asking her what she meant.
“Well, it ends with Satan saying she can no longer have compassion for others because her heart is destroyed so badly. That’s not how my story ends. My story ends with God speaking. ’Behold I make all things new. My perfect creation knows that in all things I work for the good of those who love me. She may have fallen into the enemy’s trap, but I know she loves me, and what the enemy intended for evil, I intend for good. I will sweep up the pieces of this broken heart and make it whole again. This time it will be better than it was before, and her compassion for others will grow even stronger. She will rise and walk out the destiny I planned for her. She will know to speak my name in times of need, and the enemy will flee from her presence.’”
I was in awe of these words. She finished by saying, “I was broken for a moment, but God didn’t waste any time putting me back together.”
Tag Archives: heartache
Blast from the Past – Who Has Your Key?
Originally Posted June 14 Who Has Your Key?
My husband and I are coming up on our 10th anniversary of being married and our 15th of being a couple, so for at least a month now I’ve been ready to write this post. Why has it taken me so long to actually write it? Well, I’ll explain that at the end, so stick with me.
It was one month after our first date, that I knew without any doubt in the world that Eric Gatlin was the one I would marry. I hadn’t even told him I love you yet, but I knew I was going to marry him at 17 years old. So on our second anniversary, when I was 19 years old, I gave my boyfriend the key to my heart. To make myself even more vulnerable, I told him that I gave it to him. . .
Guard Your Heart Young love is rare. I mean real, true love – the kind that God ordained. I am incredibly passionate about young ladies having confidence in themselves so that they don’t have a need for the approval of others to build their confidence. So many more times than not I see girls who have a poor image of themselves so they find themselves desperately seeking approval from boys to help build their confidence. With each new boyfriend, they fall in love quickly and feel like this one is THE ONE. Sometimes it causes them to lose who they are, and sometimes they find themselves doing things they are incredibly ashamed of and would never do otherwise. It’s a difficult place to be. I know because I remember being there. I know that’s why God has lit a fire in my heart to help build confidence in the lives of girls.
Psalm 4:23 says Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. God tells us that we are to keep our hearts guarded — locked tightly where he is the only one who holds the key. Re-read that. What would happen if you locked your heart up and gave Jesus the key to hold only to give it to you when you found the man you were meant to marry? How much easier life would be! There would be no heartache, no regrets of decisions you might have made to impress a boy, and you wouldn’t have to question Is he the right one for me?
He doesn’t do that, though. He wants us to show self-control and keep our own hearts guarded. Dating has become something that’s not “important”. If you walk into your school and ask everyone in class if they are dating someone, you’re sure to hear that almost all of the students are dating. It’s just not a big deal to anyone. Now, before I go farther, I want to preface by saying please DON’T hear what I’m NOT saying. I’m NOT saying that you should never date. I am saying that you should date with caution. With each boy you date, you are giving away a piece of your heart whether you realize it or not. The longer you date, the less guarded your heart becomes. Okay, first keep in mind that not only was I once a girl dating, but I work almost every day with girls just like you, so I know that your eyes might have just rolled a little with those last sentences. I really have heard it all, and I know that you don’t feel like it hurts anything, but it really does. The purpose of dating really is to search for your future husband. Wait! Don’t close out of the post just yet. I’m not telling you what to do or not to do, but I would like for you to really put some thought into what I’m saying. If you don’t believe me that dating is to ultimately find your husband, then please send me comments to tell me other reasons, but really think about it first and be truthful to yourself.
Did you know that it’s okay NOT to have a boyfriend? It really is. Having a boyfriend should not determine whether you are happy or not. It shouldn’t determine if you are “popular” or not. Think about your reasons for dating, and see if it’s worth it.
I dated when I was younger. I didn’t guard my heart. I got hurt. I want so desperately to save you from that hurt. I know I can’t save all of you from it, but if just one of you heeds this advice, it was well worth it. GUARD YOUR HEART! Keep it safe and far away from the enemy who is prowling around like a lion seeking who he can devour because the hearts of those who love God are his favorite meal. Go ahead and give that key to Jesus and don’t allow anyone else to have it but your husband one day. Think about how special that could be.
Here’s an idea! You could find a key this week and write a letter to Jesus about your heart and the key you are giving him. Then write a letter to your future husband about how special this key is and why you are giving it to him. Put it away. When you find that man that God has already chosen for you, give it to him on your wedding day, and read what you’ve written. What an amazingly special gift that would be for him! Whether you’re 11 or 41, if you are single it’s the perfect time to do this!
I want to pray for you before I finish my own story: Father God, I pray that the young lady reading this post today sees the importance of keeping her heart guarded. I pray that she declares at this moment that she won’t freely give her key away to every boy she comes in contact with, and I pray that if she has already given her key away and found herself with heartache that you heal her broken heart. Change the lock and give her a new key and make her a new child. I pray she remembers every day that she is a princess, and if she is not being treated like one that she will leave the situation she’s in knowing that is not your best for her. Daddy God, wrap your arms around the reader of this post and speak truth to her giving her confidence in who you created her to be. I thank you so much for this beautiful girl reading today, and I praise you because SHE was fearfully and wonderfully made. ~Amen
My Story in Short
The reason it has taken me so long to actually write this post is because I wanted to feature the picture you see here, and I tell you, I have looked through boxes and boxes of keepsakes we have. I knew it was somewhere in our house, but neither my husband nor I had any idea where it was. Of course, it was the very last, untouched box. This was a box I wasn’t even going to open because I was certain it wasn’t there. I was obviously wrong.
Why is this thing so special? When my husband and I were dating, I gave this to him for our second anniversary. I was a college student with no money, but he was so incredibly special to me that I wanted to give him something that would mean a lot to him. I looked high and low for a key that had just the right look to it, and this was what I found. It just so happened that my mom had this heart-shaped box lying around the house and gave it to me. This was my gift to him along with a poem I had written, which I’m sure is in one of those boxes, but I will not search for it at this time.
You could say I took a big chance by allowing myself to be vulnerable and give this to him. I can see how people on the outside might feel that way, but I really did know without a doubt that God set him aside for me. I knew the key belonged to him.
UPDATE/DISCLAIMER: Although I did not intend for the “key to your heart” to mean your virginity, I noticed that it could very easily be interpreted as that, and I do like the analogy. However, your virginity is not the only thing that opens up your heart. In my story, I literally gave a key in a heart-shaped box to my husband, so I want to make sure that I’m clear in my meaning. I also want you to please understand that there are so very many more things that unlock your heart.
Who Has Your key?
My husband and I are coming up on our 10th anniversary of being married and our 15th of being a couple, so for at least a month now I’ve been ready to write this post. Why has it taken me so long to actually write it? Well, I’ll explain that at the end, so stick with me.
It was one month after our first date, that I knew without any doubt in the world that Eric Gatlin was the one I would marry. I hadn’t even told him I love you yet, but I knew I was going to marry him at 17 years old. So on our second anniversary, when I was 19 years old, I gave my boyfriend the key to my heart. To make myself even more vulnerable, I told him that I gave it to him. . .
Guard Your Heart
Young love is rare. I mean real, true love – the kind that God ordained. I am incredibly passionate about young ladies having confidence in themselves so that they don’t have a need for the approval of others to build their confidence. So many more times than not I see girls who have a poor image of themselves so they find themselves desperately seeking approval from boys to help build their confidence. With each new boyfriend, they fall in love quickly and feel like this one is THE ONE. Sometimes it causes them to lose who they are, and sometimes they find themselves doing things they are incredibly ashamed of and would never do otherwise. It’s a difficult place to be. I know because I remember being there. I know that’s why God has lit a fire in my heart to help build confidence in the lives of girls.
Psalm 4:23 says Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. God tells us that we are to keep our hearts guarded — locked tightly where he is the only one who holds the key. Re-read that. What would happen if you locked your heart up and gave Jesus the key to hold only to give it to you when you found the man you were meant to marry? How much easier life would be! There would be no heartache, no regrets of decisions you might have made to impress a boy, and you wouldn’t have to question Is he the right one for me?
He doesn’t do that, though. He wants us to show self-control and keep our own hearts guarded. Dating has become something that’s not “important”. If you walk into your school and ask everyone in class if they are dating someone, you’re sure to hear that almost all of the students are dating. It’s just not a big deal to anyone. Now, before I go farther, I want to preface by saying please DON’T hear what I’m NOT saying. I’m NOT saying that you should never date. I am saying that you should date with caution. With each boy you date, you are giving away a piece of your heart whether you realize it or not. The longer you date, the less guarded your heart becomes. Okay, first keep in mind that not only was I once a girl dating, but I work almost every day with girls just like you, so I know that your eyes might have just rolled a little with those last sentences. I really have heard it all, and I know that you don’t feel like it hurts anything, but it really does. The purpose of dating really is to search for your future husband. Wait! Don’t close out of the post just yet. I’m not telling you what to do or not to do, but I would like for you to really put some thought into what I’m saying. If you don’t believe me that dating is to ultimately find your husband, then please send me comments to tell me other reasons, but really think about it first and be truthful to yourself.
Did you know that it’s okay NOT to have a boyfriend? It really is. Having a boyfriend should not determine whether you are happy or not. It shouldn’t determine if you are “popular” or not. Think about your reasons for dating, and see if it’s worth it.
I dated when I was younger. I didn’t guard my heart. I got hurt. I want so desperately to save you from that hurt. I know I can’t save all of you from it, but if just one of you heeds this advice, it was well worth it. GUARD YOUR HEART! Keep it safe and far away from the enemy who is prowling around like a lion seeking who he can devour because the hearts of those who love God are his favorite meal. Go ahead and give that key to Jesus and don’t allow anyone else to have it but your husband one day. Think about how special that could be.
Here’s an idea! You could find a key this week and write a letter to Jesus about your heart and the key you are giving him. Then write a letter to your future husband about how special this key is and why you are giving it to him. Put it away. When you find that man that God has already chosen for you, give it to him on your wedding day, and read what you’ve written. What an amazingly special gift that would be for him! Whether you’re 11 or 41, if you are single it’s the perfect time to do this!
I want to pray for you before I finish my own story: Father God, I pray that the young lady reading this post today sees the importance of keeping her heart guarded. I pray that she declares at this moment that she won’t freely give her key away to every boy she comes in contact with, and I pray that if she has already given her key away and found herself with heartache that you heal her broken heart. Change the lock and give her a new key and make her a new child. I pray she remembers every day that she is a princess, and if she is not being treated like one that she will leave the situation she’s in knowing that is not your best for her. Daddy God, wrap your arms around the reader of this post and speak truth to her giving her confidence in who you created her to be. I thank you so much for this beautiful girl reading today, and I praise you because SHE was fearfully and wonderfully made. ~Amen
My Story in Short
The reason it has taken me so long to actually write this post is because I wanted to feature the picture you see here, and I tell you, I have looked through boxes and boxes of keepsakes we have. I knew it was somewhere in our house, but neither my husband nor I had any idea where it was. Of course, it was the very last, untouched box. This was a box I wasn’t even going to open because I was certain it wasn’t there. I was obviously wrong.
Why is this thing so special? When my husband and I were dating, I gave this to him for our second anniversary. I was a college student with no money, but he was so incredibly special to me that I wanted to give him something that would mean a lot to him. I looked high and low for a key that had just the right look to it, and this was what I found. It just so happened that my mom had this heart-shaped box lying around the house and gave it to me. This was my gift to him along with a poem I had written, which I’m sure is in one of those boxes, but I will not search for it at this time.
You could say I took a big chance by allowing myself to be vulnerable and give this to him. I can see how people on the outside might feel that way, but I really did know without a doubt that God set him aside for me. I knew the key belonged to him.
UPDATE/DISCLAIMER: Although I did not intend for the “key to your heart” to mean your virginity, I noticed that it could very easily be interpreted as that, and I do like the analogy. However, your virginity is not the only thing that opens up your heart. In my story, I literally gave a key in a heart-shaped box to my husband, so I want to make sure that I’m clear in my meaning. I also want you to please understand that there are so very many more things that unlock your heart.
