August 2020 Love Letters: Day 6

Well hey there, beautiful!

I am writing to you late into the night again. It has been a busy few days for me. Yesterday was a day off, and I spent it making acrylic pours, going to the lake with my paddleboard and my pup, catching up on an Elevation Church sermon from the weekend, and picking up a few more art supplies. Today, I worked. My job, if you don’t know is customer service for a tech company. I deal with a lot of angry, frustrated people; I listen to them, and I do my best to solve their problems and reassure them they are valued and appreciated. I tell each one they are part of my family, I remind them to be safe, to wear a mask, practice social distancing, stay home as much as possible, and to wash their hands.

For my customers, I may just be a voice on the phone, but I am not going to let the position they view me as holding stop me from loving on them as much as I can. For you, I may just be a writer on the internet, but I’m not going to let that stop me from loving on YOU. 😉 This evening’s letter will likely be short and sweet, as I’m sleepy and want to go snuggle under the covers in the area that is my sanctuary. I have been blessed to have a space that wholly feels like me: there are plants and art EVERYWHERE, several of which I painted myself. I’m up to a total of eighteen houseplants, and my space is maxed out. Some are hanging from the ceiling, my bathroom has eight of them and it truly fills me with joy to be surrounded by so much LIFE!

My plants remind me that I am not alone in the struggles and trials that I wrestle with God over. Wrestling with God? Oh, yeah…that’s definitely a thing that happens. Jacob did it. He may have come away with a limp, but it certainly helped his faith to grow. How could we possibly serve a God who can’t handle a little wrestling match? God has got it covered, boo. I know y’all see me focused on the silver linings; that is a conscious choice I make, as I hold the awareness of the power and weight my words carry. You will rarely hear me complain, and I often bring to the forefront what I am grateful for in that moment. Right now, I am grateful for YOU. Yes, you, though we may have never met or may not be close. I am grateful for the time you are giving me and I am honored to speak blessings and hope into your life.

Listen, darling, I don’t really care what relationship we have when it comes to my love for you. That is jaw-dropping to think about, but I don’t care what you may or may not have done, how you believe you’ve failed in some way, or that we *should* be set up as enemies – I love you anyway. I am praying for you anyway. You are so incredibly precious to me and I believe you are a world-changer. Your homework tonight is to look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are loved, you are valued, and what you do makes a difference. I love you. I value you. You make a difference to me. While I may not care about the relationship we have as far as what qualifies my love for you, I care very deeply that you realize your worth. You are a child of the most high God. Pure, sacred, royalty, and you are absolutely treasured.

One of the most difficult things I struggle with is learning to love myself the way that I love others. It is SO EASY for me to see the light and divinity in you. I know I am reflecting it right back at you, in my mind, but it is the application of it that eludes me often. On that note, I am going to show myself some love and sign off for the evening. I am going to wash my face and probably do some extra pampering, maybe watch another sermon, maybe make a little art…I hope you are carving out some self-care time amidst all the chaos in the world.

I love you, sweetheart, for now and always. Toodaloo until tomorrow!

L Joy