dear Luke

Luke,

Was it hard to write about our Friend Jesus? Did your words fall short of all you wanted them to say? You recorded His acts & His Love - was it like trying to capture a gust of wind in a net? Like trying to count the stars in one night?

What was it like to sit with Him? Would you be sitting and laughing and speaking and suddenly be stunned in to silence - realizing you were sitting with Your Creator? That you were passing food to the hands that formed you, with delicacy & intense Love.

Did you ever sit and watch - wondering how? How it was possible for the grandness of the King to be contained in a man - a man with rough hands, calloused feet, simple features - yet He was not one of those things. Not one inch of Him was rough, callous, or simple.

Did people ever come to you and ask about "that carpenter friend" of yours? Did they laugh when you said you were leaving? Did they warn you against foolishness and straight up stupidity?

What made you go? Was it the depth in His eyes? Was it the thrill of the unknown? Or was it beyond you? An inner tug - gentle hands undoing the knots of questions that have kept you tangled up inside?

Luke, what was our Friend Jesus like?

your sister,

Kyleigh

an open letter: here we have hope

photocred to http://byemmafaye.com/

"...rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep..." -romans 12:15

Dear friends,

Knowing you has taught me much - much of love, laughter, rest, struggle, authenticity, & trust. I came here unsure about who I would spend my days with, worried about doing life alone. Man did Jesus decide to show off His provision in providing me with you.

As I sat tonight and heard the lines Jesus has been writing in your life lately - I was overcome with this deep feeling of Hope. Hope because I know that You call Him Friend, that you know Him as your Abba Father, and look to Him as Lord of your life. And that all of those titles are true not just in name but in action of who He is. That Savior, that King is pursuing each of you & in this life teaching you what it is to be loved & to love. And as you each face what every day brings, you walk with Him. That is why I have immense Hope as I hear the story He is writing with you.

Over the past months I've had the privilege of reading those lines as I walk alongside you all. I've been absolutely blown away to witness the redemptive, abundant work of the Father in your lives. The refining has been bright & bold for some of you, in others it's been uncomfortable & shaking. No matter the feelings, emotions, circumstances surrounding each - I have seen ashes turned to beauty in each of your lives. I am so grateful to walk on this holy ground, brought to my knees at the redemptive power of our Father as He reveals His plan for your life & leads you in Life Everlasting.

Thank you. Thank you each for simply being - for returning to your Father & reminding me daily that it is only in His arms that we are fully satisfied. Thank you for laughing long & loud & many times without any "good" reason - you've deepened my understanding of Joy Unexplainable. Thank you for listening & speaking Truth to me and those you brush shoulders with everyday - you are a mouthpiece for the Kingdom. Thank you for being real - for sitting in silence, for allowing the tears to fall, for asking the hard questions - you remind of what it is to be human & that we couldn't do this alone.

I love you all. Deep & wide. Thank you for living life with me, for embracing each other's messy, & being the hands & feet of our Friend Jesus. I love reading what He is writing with you, thanks for keeping an open book & letting me read.

Love,
Ky