How do you honor those who have died? Memorial Day has been hitting so much deeper this year. And the words, eluding me, until now.
A few weeks back in my hometown while out to dinner with a friend, she mentioned the verse John 15:13 "No greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends.”
Then saying, “we often tend to think that verse is about someone actually dying. But what if it’s more about someone laying down what others think of them? Like their actual reputation? Laying down what everyone in their lives even strangers might think of them. For the sole purpose of helping other people. That’s what YOU do, by being so vulnerable, by sharing all the stuff that’s been so hard to share…you really love people.”
As tears hit my eyes that verse hit me in a whole new light.
As we then rolled into Memorial Day, remembering so many who GAVE their actual lives I shared that passage on the day.
But there was so much more behind it. This conversation was behind it.
So many families LOST their spouses, lost their fathers, their mothers, their sons and daughters.
And it hit me ever more deeper, what a DISSERVICE it would be to those who did give their life…if we were stayed stuck in fear afraid to give up something (like what someone else might think of us) that could help our fellow man yet that still leaves us with our very life in TACT!?
Our veterans and our military are willing to give their lives for us, for our country, for our freedom…but what about you and me?
What are WE willing to give to our neighbor, to a stranger?
I think we’re far more capable of so much more than what we’ve settled for.
YOU have overcome so much in your journey, we all have!
What if it’s in those places of vulnerability in sharing the REAL stories of what we’ve been through and how we got through it, that could actually help our fellow man, where they need it most?
A few weeks ago, I also went to Pensacola Florida with the other friend in this pic and the craziest part of the reason why we went is that we actually didn’t know the full reason WHY we were going lol!!!
Both of us had just been studying the Hebrew calendar and felt like HE (God) was telling us to go - early - before an event later this summer. (if you want to hear THAT story, message me)
But that's crazy, right lol??
We had no idea what we’d be doing we just went!
Wait, what?!?! Lololol.
What makes it even crazier is that the Hebrew month we were in was something called IYYAR. Nissan (the month before) was when the Isrealites were leaving Egypt, after being in captivity. The following month was when they arrived at Sinai after being in the wilderness. So IYYAR was the transition of the journey. The Isrealites were transitioning to a new place in their relationship with the Father because they didn’t know much about God other than the stories passed down from generations. They had lived as slaves in Egypt and knew about the Egyptian gods but they didn’t know much about the one who had rescued them from captivity. In the wilderness, in transition, they learned his nature through the life and death realities of the wilderness.
What did they learn? That He is our healer, our provider and our banner of victory!
In pensacola, I remember saying to my friend one night amidst conversation; “I wish I had training in how to do more spiritual things”…and then it hit me “maybe this is exactly why I hadn’t. Because it’s something you have to experience with HIM! He wants that relationship and more specifically that journey with us! He doesn’t want someone else taking you on that journey. HE wants to do it and lead you in it!!”.
And that’s exactly what He did, step by step the entire time in pensacola. Even though I had NEVER done any of the things we ended up doing before lol. HE literally showed us step by step, what to do. And we did it!
Had I ever anointed anything while praying over it before? - no
Had I ever circled a building 7 times before while praying over it? - no
Had I ever anointed four corners of a church before? - no
Had I ever put my hand on someone’s forehead as people were praying over them? - no (<- insert Jen’s head dialog of "whoah!! What am I doing?! Lol Idk but He distinctly told me to do it lol. Omg, my hand is on his head!! Lol”)
And the best part? We got to do that alongside the pastor, and our friends who are members of that very church. We all did it together!
You don’t have to have any of it figured out, He’s just asking you to trust Him, to ASK Him to show you! That’s the beauty of it all.
Why? Because you’re better together. You and Him! That’s where it all starts.
What if THAT is how we even get there! What do I mean? I mean how we get to those places of being able to be vulnerable and share the things that are so hard to share. What if, He, is wanting to lead us, simply ask Him, so He can show us how!
Connection comes through true authenticity. Brave authenticity. Brave authenticity with the Father first!
Friend, at the start of our trip to Pensacola I told him “We’re here because you showed us to come….what do you want us to see? Show us what you want us to see and tell us what you want us to do!”.
And look what happened!! And that's not even everything...
There’s no doubt in my mind that I would NOT be being as vulnerable and authentic as I have been these last 5 years, and will continue to be had it not been for finding Destiny Global. Why? Because every single event, I find that much more healing, that much more breakthrough that continues to accelerate all things I know I was put on this earth to do, I was designed to do.
And I’m so excited to be heading to Pensacola Florida at the end of July, continuing to partner with Destiny Global, as we partner with a local church, and we partner with you…to be more authentic with the world.
Why? Because that's how we help eachother. We’re better TOGETHER.
Our heroes knew that. They gave their lives so that we could be.
Let’s go change the world! Let’s honor our heroes, and fight for freedom! Freedom from it all! Freedom for me, and freedom, for you!
It’s time to HONOR those who died, by HONOR-ing our neighbor with the very thing the Father has equipped YOU with!
I believe in you!