A NOTE FROM LYSA

Hi friend,

What an honor it is to meet with you through the typed-out encouragement found in these pages. I want to be that friend who comes alongside you no matter what situation you may find yourself in. I pray you feel the loving embrace of Jesus become more and more real with the turn of every page.

I know it’s not always easy for God’s voice to rise above all the chaotic noise competing for your heart’s attention. The fears. The worries. The hurts and betrayals. The struggle you’ve begged God to take away that’s screaming at you right this very minute. The seemingly easy and perfect lives others post about that pierce your heart with fresh reminders of your hard realities. Your doubts when you have to make a decision that makes almost every path seem increasingly unstable while the Lord seems shockingly quiet. Your secret sorrows that you haven’t dared whisper to anyone else about.

Your imperfections feel like neon signs welcoming others’ judgments and opinions. Maybe they are real rejections or just simply perceived ones. Either way, every insecure thought is laced with toxic comparison, disappointment, and discouragement.

I know each of these scenarios well because I face them too. And I have to confess that none of this is easy. But the Lord has been so faithful to draw me closer through it all. I think we underestimate how much courage it takes to actually release our desire to fix everything and make the choice to fix our eyes on Jesus.

That’s what these devotions are about. They’re a glimpse into my own personal journey as I’ve set out to live the “embraced” life. One where I not only receive His embrace, but I return His embrace. Embracing His grace, His wisdom, and His rest. Embracing His love, His Word, and His plans. Even embracing the parts of His plan that I find horribly difficult in the moment but completely necessary in the end. Parts that ask me to sacrifice and lay down my own desires and fleshly responses.

You’ll quickly realize that I don’t do any of this perfectly. But I’m making imperfect progress toward living embraced and embracing at the same time. And something tells me this is how you want to live as well.

If that’s true for you, you’re in the right place. Rest assured, I’ll have tissues and a whispered “Me too” for the hard moments. But you can also count on me for a laugh, slight eye roll, and a “have mercy” for the other everyday moments we’ll face.

So if you’re ready to start this journey, let’s link arms. Fix our gaze on the only One who can direct our steps. And turn the page together.

Sweet Blessings,