I am so excited this bottle of Valor arrived in the mail today! I won it from a drawing and I feel like it is Christmas at my home today! I am so thankful for oils and if you haven’t read my oily story, click here to read my story.
It was just fun to get this gift of Valor. I have been given so many good gifts during my 29 years. One of my favorite gifts lately has just been seeing my friends and being with them. What a treasure! One of my favorite gifts ever was when The Salesman came home that New Years Day in the first handful of years of our marriage with a box from Casual Corner. I won’t repeat the story because I’ve told it before. But, I enjoy every concert ticket I’m given, every bite of garden produce, every home cooked goodie that is shared, truly every gift I receive is such a blessing to me.
This gift of Valor was so timely for me this week. And I believe the LORD timed this good gift specifically for me this week. GOD is so personal in His gift giving because He knows the thoughts and intents of my heart. GOD knows what I whisper out to Him in prayer, He knows what I journal on page after page as the tears fall, and GOD knows what I am afraid to even share with Him.
HE knows that I lived literally at the corner of Coward Road for too many years.
He knows though I live at the cross road of a hill called Liberty, I could tend to fall back to fear.
GOD knows. Oh, He knows. And in His goodness and His mercy, He sent me the perfect gift for my heart, soul, and spirit through winning a drawing.
As I look at the packaging and appreciate it’s beauty, I try to open the Valor without disturbing the foil – and, I can’t – so I tear into it, wanting and needing to get to the liquid courage that is inside. I open the cap and roll it on my wrists and neck and I think of words spoken over me by my father figure:
“You are a brave, wise warrior.”
And I hear the Spirit that lives within me say gently:
‘Pick up what is in your hand.”
And then I hear my thoughts as I realize He has put bravery and courage in my hand and I say:
“What if I had never opened it?”
Oh, sweet Jesus.
I run to The Word and I search for valor on the pages of the book with the long scarlet ribbon and I fluctuate between two passages, and finally settle into 1 Samuel 16 where oils and valor grace the page and my Spirit. I rest on verse 18:
“Then one of the young men said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.”” NASB
And then, I personalize it for me:
“Behold, I have seen a daughter of Arnold and Geraldine of Mooresburg, who is a skillful communicator, a mighty woman of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a beautiful woman; and the LORD is with Lora.” Lora Version
Maybe it would be a gift to your soul and spirit today if you personalized the verse for you. Put your name in, friend. And take the gift HE has placed in your hand and pick it up and move forward. Do whatever HE has called you to and if necessary, roll your Valor on, and do His will for you while your knees are knocking.
We have kingdom work we need to be rocking.
We don’t want to get to the finish line of His kingdom and have not done what He has called us to do. I want to get on with what He has called me to do believing it will impact my children and generations yet to come.
Let’s do what He has called us to do.
You too, are a brave, wise warrior.