{Mercy} Elisabeth

Mercy : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
Elisabeth : "God's promise", "oath of God", or "I am God’s daughter"

My precious daughter....

As soon as I was surprised that you were a girl, God whispered your name against my heart. I wrestled with it for awhile because I just wasn't sure it's what I wanted to name you. But every time that I tried to settle on something else, I was pulled back... to your so very special-to-me-name..... Mercy.

How God has used you even before you entered this world and breathed to fill your lungs for the first time.... it astounds me. Many times in my life I have doubted God's ways that are so higher than mine and when your coming was made known was another of those times.

Your life.... the anticipation of it.... has taught me much about the grace and mercy of our God. As I walked through my own sort of valley of the shadow, when grief over loss was all I could feel some days, there was YOU. A new seed.... sprouting and growing and living and moving.

"Forget the former things: do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Is. 43:18, 19

Dear one, as strange as this may seem, I do not wish for an easy life for you, void of heartache or suffering. The reason is this: Never have I known the Heart of our Jesus like I have in my loneliest, most painful moments. And my precious girl...it is SO worth it. There is nothing on this earth that can compare to experiencing Him. And above anything else, THAT is what I will pray for you. That you would know Him. That you would know because you have experienced His Presence when you are in your wilderness and in your valley of the shadow. And then, in those desperate moments, His grace and His mercy would rain down on you like new life.

I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
    the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
    the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
    and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He’s all I’ve got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
    to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
    quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
    to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,
    go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
    Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
    The “worst” is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won’t ever
    walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
    His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard,
    in throwing roadblocks in the way:                 Lamentations 3:19-33 the Message

This is the passage the Lord gave me for your name.... and so I will share it with you until you know it for yourself. His mercy is new every morning. He is ever so faithful. 

And I have sweet YOU as a reminder of this truth...... and every time I speak your name, may I remember the goodness of my Lord.

I love you from the depths of my heart, my {Mercy} child....