I didn't catch your name...

What I'm about to share feels oddly uncomfortable. So, please bear with me.

When I started this blog, I had no idea what I was doing. I was just stepping forward into something I thought God wanted me to do. And even though I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing, I stepped forward in faith, knowing, hoping, God was beside me. And maybe that was the point - to see if I would act on faith - to see if I was listening.

To say that I was 'winging it' is an understatement! I would sit down with the laptop and think, "Holy Cow, what am I doing!" And then out of fear, I would pray... "God, I have no clue what I'm doing here, please help me." I can tell you, without doubt, that the blogs that impacted me the most, were not my idea. My hands may have typed them, but God put the thoughts and memories in my mind as I was writing. There are/were countless times when I sat down to type with only two or three sentences in my head and as I'm typing them, the rest of the words just flow through me. There have also been times when I thought I had the whole blog idea in my head, but when I started typing, other words ended up on the page, and by the time I'm done, I realize it's NOTHING like the idea I had when I started.

I've had people compliment my writing - even tell me I should write a book. That idea is still in God's hands - I keep reminding Him we don't have time. And over the last twelve months, the blog has been read all over the United States and in ten different countries. I am dumbfounded by that! It makes me cry every time I print the site's traffic report. NO ONE is more surprised by those numbers than me... no one.

It's humbling to know that God would use me, even in the smallest way. I'm so ordinary, so NOT remarkable. Remarkable. That word doesn't get used enough. We have replaced it with 'awesome.' The dictionary says it means 'worthy of attention.' Humbled. I am truly humbled. To know the Creator of Heaven and Earth finds me worthy of His attention. So much so, that He helps me put words on a page... not just once, but over and over and over again.

I can't help but think of the woman at the well - the nameless woman at the well. Why didn't God let us know her name? She was the first person Jesus revealed Himself to as the Messiah. Her testimony led an entire village to salvation. Wasn't that enough to at least get her name in The Book?

I think she remains nameless because any of us could put our name in her place. All of us have felt shame. All of us have felt hurt and alone. All of us have felt trapped in a situation we were uncomfortable with but didn't know what to do. And at some point, all of us have let those hurtful words and stares from others convince ourselves that we were or we are exactly what they said we were.

But remember... there's two sides to every story.

Jesus chose HER! She was worthy of His undivided attention. He didn't care what others thought or said about her. He didn't even care how she felt about herself. He picked that very moment, a time when she was shamed into being alone, to meet her in HER world. She came to the well to get her water jars filled and left the well that day with her heart filled. She was so filled with the love of Christ that she left her water jars behind and went running into the village telling everyone what had happened. The same village that made her walk in the heat of the day to get her water. The same village that ostracized her and made her feel worthless. The same village that would come to know Christ through her testimony.

Like the nameless woman at Jacob's well, no matter what we’ve done or how others may think of us, or even what we think of ourselves, Jesus will always meet us where we’re at. And He will always give us the opportunity to pay it forward. To share the good news with others. To walk in His mercy and His grace and let others see His love shine through us. To leave our worries and our burdens there at the well, like she left her water buckets, and go running into the world with Jesus in our hearts. And no one else may ever remember my name throughout the years of history, but Jesus does. He knows the number of hairs on my head and He knows my voice. And He listens. And I know I will never be alone again.

I am honored and blessed to be a part of your lives... even in the smallest way. And I would love to hear from you, even if it's just to say "hi." Please drop me a note at practicallyprayerfulblog@gmail.com

1 John 3:19-20 ESV

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.