Dearest Samantha and Adrianna,

The grand artist, God, created us in His plan with free will. People often question that formation of us and protest the results, as well. I suppose in some peculiar sense, life here would be more manageable if we could be programmed but God didn’t envision robotic creatures in His design.

The difficult consequence of the gift of free will is that people can choose to misalign themselves from the light. However, without choice, how could we love? No question, we can easily look around and see heart wrenching evil and wonder, “How can God allow this?” Children and adults in private households are being abused. Cold and calculated acts of hate and murder make up the daily news. Genocide of religious and ethnic groups is taking place around the globe, not just in history but right now. With intention, there are charlatan characters ready to pounce on unsuspecting victims with no remorse. We steal, lie, cheat and destroy. Why would a good God permit the mayhem?

When you were both growing, I would instruct you. My aim did not always match the outcome. I may have asked you to clean your room and you may have chosen to not do the task. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t want you to clean your room. It means that you chose to not follow my instruction. God, likewise, instructs us. It is his desire that we will follow the teaching of Christ. If we choose not to do so, it doesn’t mean that God is not good. It means, with our free will, we chose to not oblige Him.

Of all the precious gifts given to us by God, I do find I am most grateful for my free will, albeit it is also the weightiest gem of all. It was this very element that twisted an angel into a fallen angel. I struggle, like most of us do, with this prize. Yet, I can’t ponder the possibility of any creativeness, joy, fellowship, desire or empathy that could even exist without it in any of our lives.

Daughters, as you go on, we know one thing for sure. You will have days of happiness and days of despair. Look around in your closest circle and you will find varied spirit circumstances. Life is that way for you, too, day to day and year to year. We know that days of laughter can be as unpredictable as days of despair. And, there will be times when the world at large seems to have just gone mad. These things will not change as long as free will is given. There will be disasters you can’t even process, not just done by man but by nature that we can’t explain, at this time anyway. God directly tells us in Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God.” Perhaps not until we are with Him will we have full discovery about all matters. Thus, my prayer is that your heart has been changed now at its root.

Let the Word dwell in you so richly that your feet are firmly planted amidst the myriad of chaos. Read Colossians 2:7 – “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

There is so much about me that is not like Christ. Grace. We all go up and down spiritually and encounter competing loyalties. Remind yourself, every part of you belongs to Jesus. Rely on that power to maintain your peace through it all. If you really believe that Jesus is who He says He is, know of Him. It’s not all just some cognitive concept but it is a reality that affects lives. Read the Word. Pray on the Word. Confess and adore the Word until it starts to catch fire and relaxes your beautiful hearts.

Hand on heart, I love you!

Mom