Just a quick note from Keri Lee: I met Fareen over 5 years ago at a book signing. We became Facebook friends and then a few months later met for coffee to discuss our similar aspirations in book writing. Since then we have been best friends, studying God’s word together in women’s Bible studies and memorizing it with the Siesta Scripture Memory Team. In 2013 we memorized the book of James, saying it to each other at least once a week through the year. Nothing bonds and heals a friendship more quickly than scripture. I am thankful God has placed her in my life and look forward to the ministry work He has in store for her.
Jesus found me eleven years ago on a snowy Christmas Eve. I spent much of my early life as a Muslim and only knew very little of Jesus. I was unaware of the love that He brought to this world, and the peace that is found in His arms. It has been a wild rollercoaster walking with Jesus, but I would not change any of it.
I have a wonderful husband, Jesse, and like any couple we have had our ups and downs. However, with Christ, we have overcome much and grown closer as a couple. Together we have a three year old son named Isaac who is the apple of our eye. He brings us more joy than I would have ever imagined in my wildest dreams.
Two years ago, my life was transformed by a choice that I made which plunged me into the depths of learning just who God was. The experience made me learn just how personal of a God that Jesus is, and what that means to me. Most of all I learn how God loves me. Me, can you believe that He loves a sinner like me? Someone as dirty as I am, someone who has failed Him on countless occasions.
He.
Loves.
Me.
I read through my Bible from cover to cover for the first time last year and it changed the way I see the Bible. It is no longer a dusty old book that has no meaning to me; but it is a book that is full of life and meaning. One that is beyond my full understanding but I am determined to try, to learn all that I can while I can. My goal this year is to learn all that I can about God’s love for me, just me. I want to learn all that I can about what He has done to show me that love time and time again. So I look for stories in the Bible where He shows us this love.
Today I was reading in Exodus and something stuck out to me. The first time that Israel arrived at Mount Sinai was full of information. A lot of it is God’s commandments on various things, including how they should build things, and how clothing should be made. For the longest time I always thought that this portion was boring, that none of it pertained to me and that it was something I just had to get through in order to read the Bible. It is during these passages that I often lose concentration and find myself reading the passage two or three times. However, this time today I found something fascinating.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people”
-Exodus 19:10-11 NKJV
God was coming! Can you imagine all of the excitement going on in camp those days?! I don’t think I would have been able to stop shaking from excitement. God was coming, and He was going to talk to me, to us, to those around us. How would you react? That song from the Casting Crowns talks about falling to the ground, or standing in awe. Awe. I would be in awe.
How would I react? I guess it is one of those things where I will just have to wait and find out. I was looking for examples of how other people reacted when God came to them and I found a really cool nugget in Matthew. Normally I would have read past this looking for something juicier, but the section title got me to stop and consider. “The Women Worship the Risen Lord.”
“As they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.”
-Matthew 28:9
“Rejoice!” I don’t know about you but that simple word from Jesus after this third day from the earthly world gives me chills. It induces awe in me. Not only did Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” worship Him, they held His feet. Held them. Those very feet that were nailed to the cross, causing Him such agony only a couple of days before. Those feet that held the world on them. They held them, and He let them.
This is love to me. That God continually comes to us and tells us “not to fear” or to “rejoice”. That whatever rejoice means to you is what He wants. Whether it is preparing for Him by washing your clothes, or holding His feet. Rejoice! For He loves you and seeks you. He finds you on your roads, wherever you are going, just to meet you. You. He loves you. Look for it while you are reading and you will stand in awe of this love. It’s everywhere in His book, even in the dull, dusty pages of measurements and types of threads to use. It’s there. Look and “Rejoice!”
Fareen Doss