By: Eglaide Seiber-Barroso
This is the Heart of The Father in Heaven
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13 (KJV)
Finding HIS heart in moments of hardship, despair, rejection, loneliness, lack, and desperation will bring us to the shadow of HIS wings, where you fear no evil. For His glory.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4 (NIV)
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11 (KJV)
I am sharing HIS presence in my life in a series of testimonies of His Mercy, Grace, and unfailing Love throughout my life, hoping that will inspire others to be shameless of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NIV)
Through HIM, we can overcome anything. With HIM, we become conquerors of ALL things, and by HIM and with HIS word, I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13 (NIV)
I found this heart-shaped sea coral walking on the beach in the early morning of 2007. I was praying, searching for the meaning of life, and wondering about the events that were slowly developing in my life. I had peace, although I could sense I was stepping into an extraordinary time in my life. Until that moment, my life had been led by a powerful force moving me forward. Unaware of how much I had accomplished because I was numb by the constant emotional pain. I didn’t know that the emptiness and overwhelming sadness I felt throughout my life came from my soul’s need to be one with Jesus. I worked very hard. I became focused on doing good works, receiving praise from man for my good works, taking in the pain of others, and trying to solve their problems emotionally, financially, and in every area I felt I could make a difference. And I did see a lot of good things happening all around me. People praised me but often hated me for accomplishing what they could not. I was torn between the emotions of self-accomplishment and the ill feelings coming from envy, jealousy, and competition from those I was seeking approval.
I took that morning walk on the beach to pray. I was feeling physically and emotionally tired of fighting the immigration system, the labor injustices pertaining to American and immigrant workers’ rights, and the unfair competition as an international employment agency. I was tired of traveling abroad, of trying to direct people’s lives into living the American Dream. I had given up my own American Dream to fight the battles of others. I was full of resentment because it all led me to NOTHING. My marriage had fallen apart because of an exhaustive work schedule, lack of quality time with my family after September 11th of 2011, and high marketing investments for multicultural awareness. Divorced since 2004, I had drifted to a world I didn’t know. After Hurricane Ivan, Katrina, and a company takeover, all I could see was a tsunami wave of unpaid bills rushing my way and no one to rescue me. Deprived of the very thing I was amazed to attain through my hard work, that being financial security, I was beginning to feel I was stepping into a new phase in my life. I had no idea how I would cross that road ahead of me, how long it would take me to go through it, and how I would make it to the other side.
It was a late October morning, and I decided to take my morning walk on the beach. There was a gentle cooling wind blowing through the sunlight. The sand was hard and cold from the icy water in the early morning. As I strolled through the beach, teardrops bathed my face as if to cleanse my soul from past mistakes and experiences. For a brief moment, I felt very alone and without direction about what to do with my life. I then felt a wave of love embracing me with acceptance, as if I had a lover walking with me, embracing me through my morning walk, whispering in my ear, “It’s okay….you will be fine….I love you, and am with you always….you are not alone….I will never leave you….you are mine, and together we will overcome this too.”
At that moment, I spoke aloud to ensure I was not having a nervous breakdown. “Oh God, please let me know you are somewhere out there hearing me. Let me know I am not falling apart. Just let me know I am hearing your voice.” Then a thought dropped into my heart, and I said: “Thank you for hearing me.” As soon I had spoken these last words, the lyrics of the song my South African friend had sent to me a few months before came to my mind, and I started to sing and dance all alone on the beach. Acceptance, happiness, and joy invaded my heart, making me feel secure and protected. After that, I decided to go back home and walked towards my car. The waves were crashing softly, touching my feet. The water was very cold, waking me up from daydreaming about my future. I rushed to the sand, stepping on something that gently scratched my foot, causing me to want to pick it up and look at it. The picture you are looking at on this page is what I held in my hands on that October morning of 2007.
Looking at this special heart-shaped sea coral makes me understand that the Father’s Heart is also broken as He sees us walk through pain and trials. But He watches us closely, whispering His love messages into our hearts, letting us know we are His beloved. Letting us know He will never leave nor forsake us, that it’s okay, and things will be fine. He loves us, and He is with us always, letting us know we are not alone. We are His, and He is our Eternal Father, and together, we will overcome ALL things.
