Happy Wednesday friends! As I shared three months ago, I am excited to re-share some of the most popular devotional posts that I wrote in 2017-2018 (if you would like to see the complete list you can find it HERE!) and am excited to share this one this week! I am also excited to share that these devotional posts will soon be available (without the tie to When Calls the Heart) in a new and upcoming devotional book, February Caravan, that will be released February 1st. Stay tuned for more information to follow! In the meantime I am excited that these continue to be a blessing to so many of you! I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!
One of my favorite parts of the 4th episode in Season 1 were the words that Elizabeth wrote in her journal. There is such a simple yet deep truth that is conveyed here, the reality that the truth isn't always what may appear right in front of us in black and white. In recognizing this we find a precious blessing, a blessing that only can come from discovering graceful truth. In learning this we truly see that sometimes love can come just in time to save our lives.
I think that this episode spoke to me in deep ways because I have always been a person who has deeply valued truth. Truth in telling the correct facts, truth in sharing the exact true order of events, and truth that is black and white before us with no gray areas. This episode though has made me stop and ponder truth in a deeper and more rich way.
The beauty of truth where grace exists.
Truth that is allowed to speak freely of pain that we hold deep in our wounded hearts that we don't hide behind the insistence that we are "fine". Truth that goes beyond the pretty social media pictures that show a highlight reel that doesn't include pain. Truth that can be expressed and where it is met with grace that brings about a redemptive story of healing and love. In this type of beautiful, graceful truth, love can and will come just in time to save your life.
Recently a friend was sharing with me the heartbreak of losing a friendship that they had thought would last a lifetime. She shared that this relationship that had undergone some deep and difficult changes and instead of being a redemptive place, the friendship turned into a place of deep hurt. I know that my friend is not alone in experiencing the heartbreak of lost friendships and broken relationships that exist in this world. I have heard from so many hearties that wish that they could live in Hope Valley with good and deep friendships.
I understand. I really do. These past two years I have experienced the loss of a several friendships that I held quite dear and it was incredibly painful and a grieving season to walk through those losses. They were friendships that I believed would be for a lifetime and when these people left our friendship it was incredibly painful. A couple of the friendships were slow losses and one was very sudden.
In these types of relationships, where we have dared to risk and share our precious hearts only to have things end, it can be tender to think that we will ever experience friendship that is built on graceful truth.
But the truth is where grace and love exist, where trust is the foundation of friendships, and where we love and listen with our hearts we find true love in friendship. We find that looking beneath the "fineness" to a deeper existence and one that can bring a beauty of love that can save our lives. We find that creating a safe space for those who encounter our hearts to come and receive grace is one of the biggest blessings of love that we can pour out to the world.
I know that I am not alone in my admiration for the friendship between Abigail and Elizabeth that exists on the show. I have heard so many different hearties express that they long for a close friendship like this one. I have been so blessed to have several close friends who are my "Abigail's and Elizabeth's" in my life. As I think about the way that Abigail and Elizabeth's friendship has evolved over the course of the last four seasons I think one of the most beautiful redemptive things is the story of grace and truth that is offered within their friendship. Their friendship ebbs and flows out of graceful truth being the foundation for their friendship and this encourages and allows truth to be spoken. In doing so, in having this foundation, we have seen many times love coming to save their lives.
In this same way, in my deepest and truest friendships that I have in my life I see that when these same principles are modeled there is a beautiful blessing of graceful truth that exists. It changes me deeply and in turn I can offer even more freely to the world around me graceful truth and love. It truly has a ripple effect, not just on me, but on my community. I can forgive and release those who have chosen to walk away and live in graceful truth.
At the core, Elizabeth was right. Love does often come just in time to save our lives. Today, let's build into the friendships that God has placed before us friendships centered on God's grace, tenderness, and trust. Let us have the courage to work to create spaces of truthful grace in the midst of each of our relationships. In doing so, we will be blessed with the most beautiful thing- the blessing of graceful truth which will spread over into every corner of our lives, allowing love to come in time to save our lives.
"The truth will set you free..."
-John 8:32-
*originally published on Caravan Sonnet in May 2017*
Looking for past From Hope Valley Devotionals? You can click HERE to find a complete listing of all of the devotionals!
I receive several emails a week asking where you can watch older episodes of "When Calls the Heart". If you have a Netflix account you can find seasons 1-3 there or you can purchase them on Amazon. You can purchase and watch all of the seasons and episodes by clicking on the links below:
*Please note that the quotes used in these weekly devotionals are the sole intellectual property of Hallmark Channel, WCTH, & Crown Media, LLC. These on-line posts are in no way supported, endorsed or affiliated with WCTH, Hallmark Channel, or Crown Media. They are simply encouragement inspired by Janette Oke and this precious show.*
6 comments
Love.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thank you Regine. I so appreciate you taking the time to read and also leave a comment. I hope that you have a wonderful day today!
DeleteBlessings,
Rebecca :)
This is one of my favorite episodes for the same reason. <3 Sadly, though, I feel as if a friendship like Abigail's and Elizabeth's are hard to find. One of the reasons I like When Calls the Heart so much because it's so refreshing to see a community willing to help others.
ReplyDeleteMuch love to you and yours,
Jamie.
Jamie,
DeleteI definitely agree with you- the friendship that we see portrayed between Abigail and Elizabeth is truly hard to find. It is sad isn't it that that is the case? But it is also incredibly inspiring to me to build deep friendships like the one that we see portrayed between these two ladies. It encourages me to keep investing in true friendships that will last a lifetime. You are so right- it is so refreshing to see the community willing to help each other in When Calls the Heart! Such an inspiration to do the same! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and to stop by and leave a comment!
Blessings,
Rebecca :)
Thank you for this lesson. It's blessed me in many ways. Although some of my friendships did not work so well, (mainly due to me being on the other side of those hurts and pains), I'm hopeful that it's never too late to "pursue, recover, and restore" the ones I that still remain in my life by God's grace. Having the discernment to know the ones worth pursuing and recovering so that God can do the restoration, is highly necessary.
ReplyDeleteAgain thank you.
Myrnelle
Thank you for this lesson. It's blessed me in many ways. Although some of my friendships did not work so well, (mainly due to me being on the other side of those hurts and pains), I'm hopeful that it's never too late to "pursue, recover, and restore" the ones I that still remain in my life by God's grace. Having the discernment to know the ones worth pursuing and recovering so that God can do the restoration, is highly necessary.
ReplyDeleteAgain thank you.
Myrnelle