Meredith's Heart Full of Joy

There are really no words to express the feeling of losing someone close to you. Being 2 weeks into my freshman year of high school and losing one of my closest friends, it was truly an unfathomable feeling.

Despite all the grief and pain, I am able to look back on the thing that made her so special. Today marks the 6 year anniversary of one of my dearest friends going to be with the Lord. I wanted to take some time and share an important lesson she taught me, and my friends, throughout our years together.

If Meredith could be described in one word it would easily be: JOY. 

If someone was to ask what was lying at the foundation of that little 5 foot girls heart, everyone would say joy. What was so special about her foundation is that it was joy full of the Holy Spirit. From that joyful heart, she radiated a constant flow of Christ’s love onto others. She was placed on this earth, and from the time she could talk, began to influence and make an impact on the people’s lives around her. And let me tell you.. she knew everyone. It didn’t matter if you had known her for years through soccer or cheer, if you had just met her at youth group, or even if you took her order at Chick-fil-a... She treated us all the same. She loved us all the same. 

Her joy was contagious. Jesus was the foundation of her heart and because He was her deepest desire and she trusted in Him, He was able to make much of her. You too can experience the same joy that was in Meredith by understanding the person God can make of you! 

Here are 3 ways as believers, God makes much of us: 

• God makes much of us by rejoicing over us.
• Matthew 10:31 “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

• God makes much of us by leaving us a seat with Jesus on his throne.
• Revelation 3:21 “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

• God makes much of us by being pleased by us.
• Psalm 149:4 “For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”

God making more of you allows you to know Him better. It allows you to treasure Him more and and to love Him more. It equips you to go out and spread His great word to others. 

Not a single day goes by that Meredith is not thought about and deeply missed. But what a blessing it is that she was able to leave such a happy, joyous feeling in the people’s lives around her! That she was able to be a pillar of light and a demonstration of what it truly means to have Jesus Christ in your heart.

I encourage you to go forward with a heart full of joy, just like Meredith and allow Christ to make something of you today!

Identity

Over a year ago God laid on my heart to start a blog and while I listened to Him in the short run, I let my busy and hectic life push it aside just after a few months. So as I’m sitting here today doing my quiet time, my heart feels heavy and convicted to start back what He intended for me to do. 

Do you ever ask yourself ‘who am I?’ If you stripped away all of the titles you may have... daughter, sister, friend, mother, student, teacher... who is the person that is left? Our identity does not lie in any of those titles. It lies in who we are in Christ. We must undoubtedly believe we really are who God says we are, and we can only achieve that through the Word of God. 

Here are just a few examples of the person Christ has made us to be:

I am a child of God.

John 1:12-13
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

I am a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

I am chosen.

Ephesians 1:4

“For he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless in his sight.”

I am a royal daughter.

1 Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

I am free.

John 8:36

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

I am forgiven.

Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

I am created for good works.

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good woks, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Without truly knowing who we are in Him, we will always struggle with our identity. Lately I have found myself finding my identity in earthly things. I struggle with finding security in physical beauty, nice clothes, and even through my friends. When my eyes started to get away from Jesus, I begin to find my worth in these material things. We must protect our identity in Christ so that it is not stolen by the enemy. The enemy can only take what we allow him to take. However, if you’re confident about who you are in Christ, then nothing and no one can rob you of that.

Don’t be afraid to ask yourself ‘who am I?”-- all you have to do is believe and live out the things Christ says you are.