God’s Love

Let Them See You In Me

By Sara | February 3, 2025 | Comments 4 comments

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

In November 2024, I spent two weeks working in Marshall, NC, while serving in my former role. While those two weeks were incredibly stressful, there were moments that stood out as they reminded me that I was there for God’s purpose – to show the Light of Christ to the world.

One particular exchange during the second week of that interval will always remain with me. As usual, I had made a lunch run, venturing out from the remote location where my workplace was building a retreat center in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. Just after lunch, one of the senior executives from the London office turned back to where I was sitting to thank me for getting everyone’s food. As I smiled and gave her my typical “My pleasure” response, she stopped mid-stride and returned to me.

“You have the most beautiful smile, Sara,” she began. “I truly mean that. It’s not just your smile. It’s more that when you smile, your whole existence lights up.”

“Thank you,” I replied, smiling again. “It’s not me. It’s what’s inside me that you see.”

Amid all the darkness of the company I worked for, their New Age talk and practices consuming me then, that brief encounter made me happy – particularly because my boss at the time heard the entire exchange. While she didn’t comment, I saw her look at me before turning away after hearing my response.

That’s why I’m here, I remember thinking at the time. I’m here to show God’s Light to you. While I later regretted not clarifying by saying, “It’s who is inside me that you see,” I knew I would be more specific if given another opportunity to do so.

Much to my delight, the opportunity to speak about this topic again came sooner than I could ever have anticipated.

Having tendered my two-week notice of resignation a month later, my boss precisely detailed who she felt I should notify about my departure. Thankfully, the British executive I’d met in NC was someone she wanted me to reach out to.

“She really liked you,” my boss explained. “Make sure you let her know you’re leaving.”

Seizing this opportunity to refine the comments I’d made the previous month better, I did so in my notification.

“I must begin by thanking you for your kindness during your visit to Marshall in November,” I began. “While I tendered my letter of resignation earlier this week, I will take fond memories of all those gracious to me when I leave – you being chief among them.

“I will never forget how you told me my smile lit up my entire existence and that there is a glow about me,” I continued. “At the time, I said that it’s what’s inside me that you see. I should have clarified that it is really who is inside me that shines forth. That Light is my Savior, Jesus Christ. As I mentioned to [my boss], there is a difference between being a Christian and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have the latter. While I hoped this relationship could exist alongside my work here, I now know it cannot – hence my departure. I already exist in a place of peace, wisdom, and love, which allows me to walk away and accept God’s guidance for my next steps.

“All that being said, I greatly admire you and all those choosing to show love to the world with your whole being. I am doing the same – just in a different manner through a different source. I hope and pray that you can understand and feel the same one day. In the meantime, you remain in my heart and prayers. Never forget how precious you are. Most appreciatively, Sara.”

While I had no idea how this correspondence would be received, the response was astounding.

“Dear Sara,” came the reply. “Thank you for your light, your thoughtfulness, your service, and most of all, your love and care.

“On a personal note, I’m so deeply grateful for meeting you and bearing witness to your heartfulness which shines through in all that you are and do. You have such a gentle way and penetrating intelligence, and we are blessed that your bright and loving presence has helped us since your arrival. Wishing you all the love and joy in your next adventure.”

To say that I was stunned by this response is an understatement. I was overjoyed to learn that not only were my words received with the love I wrapped around them but that God’s Light had indeed shown through my everyday actions. That’s what I had hoped for, as that’s how I try to live my life every day.

One profound truth will always remain with me from that job: a vast amount of people live in darkness – many more than I ever realized. Anyone who lives without Christ is living in the dark.

They may appear happy, kind, and full of love – but their love differs from God’s. Their love is conditional and requires steady feeding to remain satiated.

Our Heavenly Father’s love is wholly unconditional and everlasting. Nothing can compare to being loved by the Creator of the universe. Anything else will always come short – yet countless people pursue temporary happiness and worldly pleasure. They seek it in people, drugs, money, and wisdom. They seek it in power, prestige, and even in a “higher consciousness” – as was the case in my former company.

We can’t find peace, wisdom, and love by morphing our minds into another realm. Such an ideal is nothing short of demonic. Only our Heavenly Father can break through the darkness and show us the real Light of the world. Only God can satisfy.

The sad truth is that too often, people don’t even realize they’re living in the dark because they’ve never experienced the true Light of Christ. As Charles Martin explains in his fictional work, The Record Keeper, “People in darkness don’t know they’re in darkness because it’s all they’ve ever known. It’s their world. They navigate primarily by bumping off things that are stronger. Immovable. They don’t know darkness is darkness until someone turns on a light. Only then does the darkness roll back like a scroll. It has to. Darkness can’t stand Light. And it hasn’t. Not since God spoke it into existence.”

Years ago, I remember hearing a sermon describing the importance of our witness: “You may be the only church anyone ever experiences. Make it count.” I might now add that you may be the only reflection of Jesus’s Light someone may ever see. May we never lose an opportunity to shine God’s luminescence into the shadows.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. As followers of Christ, so also are we. I am His hands and feet, just as I am privileged to be His Light. As Christ said, “You are the Light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives Light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15)

*Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, Tavernier, FL (FL Keys)*

And so, I intend to keep shining. I earnestly pray that Christ’s Light will always be reflected off of me – every day, everywhere I go, and in everything I do. After all, “It’s not me you see, but Christ – the Light of the world – inside of me.”

God uses everything for His purpose

By Sara | September 15, 2024

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)

I drove from GA to VA Beach three weeks ago with three kitties in tow to bring our fur baby, Bo, to David. Bo hadn’t been doing well due to his age and kidney disease. In the two weeks prior, Bo had almost stopped eating and was getting weaker every day. I knew I had to get him to David while I could, as Bo has been David’s near-constant companion and travel co-pilot for over 12 years.

*Our brave kitty, Bo, is such a fighter.*

Since my arrival in VA Beach and our steady administration of thrice weekly subcutaneous fluids, our Heavenly Father heard our prayers for more time with our beloved fur baby. Bo has since made a remarkable turnaround and is now thriving again. Every day is a gift. That’s blessing number one.

A week after I arrived, David told me he wanted to give away his old refrigerator. He had bought a new stainless steel fridge to match his upgraded kitchen, but his old one was still working perfectly, and we didn’t want to trash it.

“I’ll post it on ‘Everything’s free in VA Beach’ on Facebook and maybe we can get it to someone who needs it,” I suggested. David and his friend Jason pushed the fridge to the driveway’s edge. I took pictures and posted the notice.

An hour later, David informed me that he had saved the appliance from someone who stopped by to take it for scrap. “I told the man I was glad someone could use it,” David said, “That’s when he told me he was going to scrap it. I told him that it worked, and we wanted it to go to someone who needed it.”

“I’m so glad,” I said. “Hopefully, someone will respond to my ad soon.”

A pop-up message on my phone a few hours later advised me that our prayers had been answered. “I need this,” were the simple words I received in response to my ad. I was ecstatic. That was blessing number two – finding someone who would greatly benefit from what God allowed us to give.

*David wanted his old refrigerator to go to someone who really needed it.*

I replied to the respondent, Tiffany, that the fridge was still available, and we were happy it would go to a good home. Tiffany confirmed that it would, as her refrigerator wasn’t keeping things cold. After professing my joy with this news, I asked if she could pick up the appliance that evening or the next day, Thursday.

Tiffany responded that she could get it on Friday after renting a U-Haul. I told her I’d need to check with my husband about keeping it another day, as I knew David was ready for it to be gone.

My next thought was that we have a trailer; we could deliver it to her. I hesitated to ask David as I knew this was a huge request. Instead, I determined to explain the situation to David to see how he’d respond, unprompted.

When David returned from the store, I shared the good news of our recipient – then informed him that we’d have to keep it until Friday since Tiffany couldn’t get a U-Haul until then.

David looked at me without flinching and said, “I can take it to her.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Will you be able to put it on your trailer upright? It won’t be too heavy?”

“Yes. I’m sure,” David replied. “I’ll strap it in. It’ll be fine.”

“What about your back?” I asked. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself doing this.”

“Ask her if she can get someone to help,” David replied. “Let’s do it!”

That’s when I told David I’d been thinking the same thing. I wanted to ensure he felt good about providing this extra service without suggesting it. With his immediate response, I knew it was the right thing to do —David’s validation of my thoughts was blessing number three.

I then contacted Tiffany to let her know that we could bring the fridge to her if she’d provided us with her address.

“Omg, are you serious?” asked Tiffany. “Yes, I have someone. You both are such a blessing.🙌”

“I am totally serious,” I replied. “It would be our privilege to help you, Tiffany. 🙏”

“If you give us your address and a good time to bring it, we’ll get it there,” I continued. “It will be a gift from God through us to you.”

After providing her address, Tiffany shared, “My kids gonna be in school. They gonna be surprised tomorrow.”

“HOORAY! Christmas in August!” I replied, “I love it!!

“Awesome. Now I don’t have to freeze their milk for cereal anymore,” Tiffany shared. “I’m so happy! 😀”

After telling Tiffany how pleased her news made me, we coordinated a time to bring the fridge to its new home. I also asked if she had someone who could help if we needed it.

“Yes, that [time] will work,” Tiffany replied. “I have my nephew here. He will get it. You and your husband have blessed my family, and I will be forever grateful for you two. 💙”

“Amen,” I replied. “God blesses us every day, so we are just doing what we can to share those blessings with you and any others that we can. We’ll see you in the morning!!!”

The next day, and a few texts later, I’d cleaned up David’s old microwave as Tiffany confirmed that she could use it also. In the meantime, David pulled his trailer around and called me outside to help.

After attempting to push and pull the fridge directly onto the trailer, we knew we needed a different system to load it. David found two long boards in his backyard and screwed them into the wood.

Just as I attempted to push and David pull the fridge up, a truck drove by, pulled over, and a Good Samaritan jumped out to help. David saw him first and told me to stop. After trotting back to help me push, we had the fridge on the trailer ready to strap down.

Better than strapping it alone, David fashioned an ingenious board system around the appliance that he screwed down to keep the fridge from moving. With the straps and boards in place, I snapped photos and told Tiffany we were on our way.

*With the help of a Good Samaritan and David’s ingenious framing system, we loaded David’s fridge on his trailer for special delivery to a family in need.*

Upon arrival in downtown Norfolk, we were met by Tiffany’s nephew, who helped us get the fridge off the trailer and up the steps to their home. After sharing hugs and gratitude, I told Tiffany how God had brought David and me together in FL after Hurricane Ian.

*David helped push his fridge up 3 steps to Tiffany’s porch.*

“We both long to share God’s blessings with others. Now, we’re able to do so together. I hope every time you look at this fridge, you remember that God loves you. Tell your children that, too. You are so important! Never forget that.”

“I won’t,” Tiffany confirmed.

As David and I drove away, I was struck by the fact that however much we give and no matter what we do, we can never outgive God. Our cups are overflowing with God’s mercies every single day. David and I recount our blessings every time we pray. We have each other, first and foremost, which will always be the uttermost tangible gift either of us has ever received from our Heavenly Father. Love is an infinite, unquantifiable godsend for which we will never stop thanking our Creator.

*David and I shared hugs and smiles after the successful hand-off of his former fridge to its new owners.*

Additionally, we have our health, home, and David’s VA Beach house, which we get closer to completing every day. We also have food in our refrigerator and clothes on our backs, and we are safe. We are blessed with everything we need, and God has allowed us to share what we have with others.

*David and his co-pilot Bo were all smiles on their return trip to GA following Bo’s miraculous recovery.*

We also, miraculously, have our sweet Bo-man for a little longer, as God has seen fit to restore him to near-perfect health and surprising vigor since I arrived in VA Beach. We are so grateful for every extra day with him – especially the good days we’ve experienced lately.

Even more so, in giving of ourselves and our abundance, we can share God’s blessings with others. While my interaction with Tiffany was brief, I hope and pray that the words shared and the household appliances gifted will serve as tangible evidence of our Heavenly Father’s goodness, grace, and generosity in her life. Although we’ll never know if anything we did impacted her in any way, our Creator does, and that’s all that matters.

God can use anything and everything for His purpose – even a refrigerator – to reach the lives of those who might never have heard His name or seen Him in any other way. We never know what our Creator will need us to give, what He will ask us to say, or who He wants us to tell it to. All we can do is give, speak, and pray that God will use it all for His divine purpose.

Everything we have is His anyway. All we’re doing is giving back as He directs us.

I got you

By Sara | February 18, 2024

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

For most of my life, Valentine’s Day was a somber reminder of how unloved I always felt. Visits to the store around this holiday always made me feel like I was the oddball, never knowing what it was like to feel truly loved. Worse yet, my desire for unselfish love was called “unrealistic” by my former abusive spouses. The desire to love and be loved that God planted in my heart at a young age was “unachievable,” I was told. As a result, I believed the kind of love I hoped for could never be real. It was a fairy tale, an illusion, a stupid, unattainable, idealistic notion. Sad as that was, I acknowledged and accepted that as reality.

*Wedding day, VA Beach – March 12, 2023*

Mercifully, God thought differently – and sent me David.

Knowing that I am now unconditionally loved every single day still seems surreal to me. And yet, here I am, still in awe of finding my soulmate – the one person God created for me even as he crafted me for him. I still find myself asking my husband, “Are you for real?”

“Every day is Valentine’s Day to us,” I told David in the lead-in to the candy-crusted celebration. “Every day, we have love, love, love – not just on one day of the year. I love you more every day, and that’s never going to change.”

Our love story spans the ages. I never tire of hugging, kissing, and telling David how much he means to me. Our prayers always start by thanking God for “love, love, love.” No matter what passes between us, we are committed to staying as much in love today as we were when David asked me to marry him.

But how can we do so? I can answer that question with a single word – God. God is the cord that ties the two of us together. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Can anyone imagine a love like that? David and I can. Each of us would gladly lay down our lives for one another. We can’t imagine a world where we aren’t together. Isn’t that just how our Creator feels? “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

*Torrey Pines Natural State Reserve, La Jolla, CA – January 2024*

And what about 1 John 4:19, which says, “We love because He first loved us”? Isn’t that precisely why our Creator joined David and me in marriage? We stepped out in faith to show God’s love to strangers, and in return, we can now be the embodiment of His love in action to one another. To David and me, love is precisely what our hearts always hoped for but never thought we’d find.

David and I found one another because of Christ. We know that. We thank God for that – daily, constantly, with every heartbeat. God is the cord that surrounds us. Jesus first demonstrated love by dying on the cross for our sins. And that unique, unselfish love ties the two of us together. We are unbreakable because of Christ.

*Tavernier, Florida Keys, FL – December 2023*

David and I each know that we could have spent the rest of our lives apart, serving God, worshipping our Savior, and praising Him for His mighty love in our lives. Instead, we not only have the Creator’s love but also share that same unquenchable, unexplainable, unbreakable love for one another that He has for the two of us – and all the world that He made. God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him – that’s why He sent His Son to bridge the chasm that would forever separate us from Him – sin. Christ’s sacrifice covered our sins with His love. The perfect blood of the Lamb allows us to live forever with our Creator for all eternity. We have only to acknowledge our sins, proclaim our need for a Savior, accept Jesus as God’s only Son into our hearts, and ask Him to make us new again.

My wish to everyone reading these words is not that you will find your true love on earth but that you will acknowledge Jesus as your Savior first and let Him lead you to His great love. Without Christ, there can be no such thing as perfect love. You must begin with God and keep Him at the forefront of your heart and mind thereafter. Then, and only then, can you find and understand what real love is.

*Valentine’s Day Banquet at our Brunswick GA church – February 2024*

1 John 4:7 reminds us, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” Love isn’t a fairy tale. It’s obtainable and achievable by anyone who asks Christ into their heart. Do so today! Your lonely heart can be filled to overflowing when you invite Christ into your life to become your Savior. I’m a living, breathing testimony to the same.

I’ve always had Christ – and that thought kept me strong enough to hold on. If someone couldn’t love me like Christ could, I would rather be alone. Through all the fires, all the triumphs, and all the brokenness in my life – God was always with me.

And now – thanks to Jesus – I have David.

Invite Jesus inside you and let Him make you whole. He has always held you in the palm of His hand. Once you’ve asked Christ into your heart, you too will be able to say with as much joy as I do that “I got you.”

Category: God’s Love