In a serendipitous way, two paths crossed and I met a beautiful new friend just over a month ago. A mutual friend passed our names to one another. We exchanged a brief phonecall where she cast vision into a project and I excitedly said “we’re all in”.
She is a photographer by day but a storyteller is stirring in her heart. As we talked she said, I want to tell stories with more than just pictures, I want them to be living stories that inspire. – you and me both friend.
We sat one Monday afternoon and she storyboarded a project to capture a glimpse of our life. With tears in both of our eyes I shared the story of God building this family. We talked about songs that were meaningful – as if I could limit it to just one – and somewhere along the way she asked if I would consider writing a letter to my girls?
I know, I thought the same thing…. am I dying?
There’s no way I can write a letter… where would I even begin and how could it possibly end? I humbly apologized on the day of our shoot – I really just couldn’t do it. But here are a few more songs we should consider.
As she began to build out the project, the pieces were coming together perfectly despite how awkward I am on a camera. Lord save me.
Then a few days later she sent a text… something was missing… Would you please try to write a letter to your girls? Just tell them their story…
It turns out, if you aren’t dying and you just sit down… the words are already there deep within. So here’s what was scratched out one night…
My sweet girls, let me tell you a story.
It’s your story… and mine, a perfectly written, beautifully broken, story of reckless love.
It started with a dream from a brave girl, who told me you would be coming. I prayed and prayed and asked God how could this be? I never wanted to be a mommy in a million years, but somehow I knew this dream would come true.
I was so scared, certain he had the wrong girl, but he gently breathed on what little bit of courage I had and said he would hold my hand every step of the way.
Then on that fateful day when the phone rang, with trembling voices, your daddy and I gave our best yes yet.
You had to have seen the fear in my eyes when I first saw your faces. Your beauty was overwhelming.
Soon your laughter became the soundtrack of our life, your pain the backdrop of our story, and His love the hope of our future.
You uncovered a fight in me I never knew I had, a fierceness only a mother can carry and stirred a dream I never knew I wanted.
Many may think we rescued you, but the truth is, you rescued us. You pulled us out of a smaller story into a greater purpose – that reflects the Father’s heart towards his children.
A father who will move heaven and earth, soften the hardest of hearts and leave the 99 to make sure that one knows the depths of his love.
When I look in your big brown eyes, I see his love shining through. When I catch a glimpse of our family, I know his mercies are new every morning.
I’m not pretending this was always our story. This isn’t the way it was supposed to be. But somewhere a faint yes turned into a family and here we are soaking in moments that take my breath away.
I know one day we will unpack the heavy things you have carried, the loss and the pain you don’t even yet comprehend… and when you question where God was, I pray our story always points you back to his unending love.
Sweet girl, you are worth every fear I overcame, every hard day we’ve faced, every pain that has pierced my heart along the way.
You reveal God’s goodness to me. You make me brave.
I pray as our story unfolds you are drawn to the one who pursued you from the start – who wove a crimson thread of redemption and will never leave you. I dream for you to become everything he created you to be, a woman who loves well, fights for what is right, stands for her beliefs and walks in courage, beauty and love. My deepest desire is to love you, come hell or high water… that you may always know… you were worth it.
Love is.
I held my girls closely as I showed them the finished project and they watched the “happy tears” that filled my eyes. They heard the words my heart carries for them as if they didn’t already know their own story. It was perfect.
It’s only been a week but I keep going back and watching every detail that was captured almost as if I don’t get to see them every day.
And when we’ve navigated hard days and dark nights, it’s my own words I hear in my head reminding me that every pain is worth it. I don’t know if it inspires anyone else, but I know it keeps me in the fight.
I’m sure there’s so much more I will want to say one day, but for now, the only thing left stirring is beautifully portrayed in the words of our current replay:
I hear you whisper underneath your breath.
I hear your whisper, you have nothing left…I will send out an army to find you, even in the darkest night it’s true, I will rescue you.
I will never stop marching to reach you, even in the hardest fight it’s true, I will rescue you.“Rescue” – by Lauren Daigle
It’s the fierceness birthed in me… even in the darkest night, sweet girl, I will fight for you.
I wish I could share the finished product… but for privacy reasons we have to keep it on the down low. :: but if you know my mom, I promise she will show you 😉 ::
But I’ll leave you with this gem, let the words sink deep in your soul, consider a father who sends them just for you. You’re worth it.
storyofagirl 