For Such A Time As This!

In the womb, I saw you. In the hours between midnight and 3, I saw you. In between dreams, in your quiet places, I saw you. 

Even as a little child, when you hardly knew what the world was yet, I saw you. I knew you. I knew what you would become for it was already in you, wrapped up in a package, placed deep in your heart. 

And even as a youth, when you were learning the hard places in this world, when you were seeing the rejection, the loss, the sadness, the heartaches (and they were hard aches), I saw you. I saw you even as you saw all of it, even as you witnessed it and even tasted its bitterness at times. I saw you.

I saw you and I was forming you. 

I was allowing you to grow among the adversity so you could see for yourself how lost the world is, how lost they are without Me. I allowed it to make an impression on you, though not harm you. I protected you all along the way so you were never stolen away by it. I never allowed the enemy to touch you, no not even once. You were well protected in My shelter, angels on assignment day and night to lead you and protect you. You were never alone. Not even once. Though you were allowed to feel what loneliness is, I never let you alone. I never once put you down. 

Before you knew me, I knew you. And I loved you then as I love you now, there is no difference. I love you now with the same love that I loved you with before you said yes to Me. 

Every place you have stepped was intentional. I was grooming you, though you did not know it. Though you thought you were alone and abandoned, I was with you! I have been training you your whole life for SUCH A TIME AS THIS. For this assignment I have for you has taken your whole life to train for. I have had to allow you to see it all so you would move with compassion and understand the pain that people feel. And in this way you will move humbly and with much compassion. You will not misstep. 

And I allowed you to see My church. I wanted you to see it up-close, first hand. I wanted you to see the beauty, but also the disfunction. I wanted you to see what is really happening. And even in all of it, I saw you. I was with you. I walked you through it and you never missed a step. You passed right through the valley of the shadow of death, more than once, for I wanted you to see the full extent of it. You now understand things that only people who have been in church understand. You saw it. You know it. And you will now be able to speak into it and have grace for those who have also walked that same hard path. 

Do you see, darling? Not one thing has been in vain. It has all been allowed and you have come out on the other side with not even the smell of smoke on you! And yet you now carry a fragrance that the world will be able to enjoy the rest of your life! For you will now bring the aroma of Christ to the world, all because you stuck it out with Me.

So no more despair. No more gloom. No more self pity. Does a soldier feel sorry for himself after bootcamp? No, because he knows it has been for his training and his good. He knows he is now ready for whatever comes next!

And you are ready, fair child! I have seen to it personally, Myself. I have groomed you 

for such a time as this!