WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE HAVE

From Susan Hillis:

Who we are

I got to be right beside our 2 little granddaughters this week end when their eyes saw and their toes touched the ocean for the very first time.  I love relaxing here at the beach and reflecting on the goodness and greatness of God.  So, dear friends, having just spent the early morning sitting with our daughter Cristi's baby, Elyse, and talking with her about her identity and destiny, I decided to pass the blessing I just gave her, on to you.  As usual, there is a story behind it!

About 4 years ago a godly man in his 70s visited our church. His reputation preceded him, as one who had memorized thousands of Scriptures, and loved giving biblical blessings to folks.  We had the chance to meet each other and he said he was passing on to me  

"The blessing of Benjamin,the beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all the day and dwells between his shoulders."  

(Deuteronomy 33:12)

I thought, "that's weird, what in the world does 'dwell between his shoulders' mean?  I opted for being thankful for the safety part of the verse, and in a short span, it slipped out of my mind.  Until I read and reread it from time to time in my regular read-thru-Bible-in-a-year plan.  That small seed of encouragement, planted by someone I saw only once, in a brief encounter, has become a tall trunk of blessing in my life!  It is who I want to be, and trust that, in the Lord, I am becoming. It is who Elyse is and is becoming. 

It is who you are and are becoming.  "The High God dwells between his shoulders" means, for me, in those key centers of life...the mind, the heart, and the voice!  Because our brain, our heart, and our vocal chords are all 3, "between the shoulders."  As Jesus "puts his law into our minds and writes them in our hearts" (Heb 8) it is only natural that His words will find expression in our voices!

What we have

Copy cats. We have what that old man had. The living and active blessing and encouragement of God to pass on.  So I am trying to copy my dear friend Elizabeth Styffe who does this better than anyone I know.  I want to pass along encouragement to all those I meet.  It is what I have to give, ever and always.  It is what you have to give. "Encourage each other every day" (Heb 4:13).  It is one of the means the Lord uses to help us dwell in safety.  

For more encouragement along the adoption journey, Hope at Home 2012 is the place to be! Susan will be sharing in both main and breakout sessions. You will love to talk with Susan in person and hear her share more. Now the grandmother of two, one from a biological daughter and one from an adopted daughter, she has much wisdom and love to give.