Dear Amy,

What is the greatest gift that can be given?

This question came into my head after listening to your voice on Monday, and my heart went out to you. At once I wanted to type out a message of love and encouragement for you. I wanted to reach out and give you a hug. Then I realised my question wasn’t quite right. The greatest gift isn’t mine to give. It is the Lord’s. The greatest gift that is mine to give is to remind you of his gift.

All I’m doing as I write to you is to remind you of things you already know. I am very aware of that! And I am not writing as someone who has it all together, as someone who has arrived, so to speak. By no means! I write as a fellow traveller, still on the journey, seeking to honour the Lord with every fibre of my being, with every breath of my life, as are you. Facing knocks and pitfalls and discouragements and sorrow and pain and weariness, as are you. I write what encourages my own heart on this journey, praying that it may also bless you.

Oh Amy, know this, which is so familiar, and yet may be overlooked. Here is my gift of love and encouragement for you, this week.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

― Psalm 23:1-3

I know I need that. You need that. Let us receive it together.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He knows what I need. Oh how he knows that! He knows what you need, Amy. He leads me beside quiet waters. Let’s consider for a moment how to receive this gift from the one who knows us and loves us beyond understanding.

Recall what I wrote to you right back in the beginning, when you had only just arrived in the village.

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

― Jeremiah 17:7-8

Here then is how we receive this gift from Psalm 23. We trust the Lord. We choose to trust him, even though the way ahead is hard and we are weary. His grace is sufficient for us. For me. For you. I choose to trust that it is, casting myself upon him, depending on him, his power made perfect in my weakness.

And as I trust him in this way, what does he do? He restores my soul.

Trust that he knows you, Amy, trust that he loves you, lie down in his green pastures and have your soul restored! 🙏