notecards for Stella.

After church this morning, I headed back to my apartment for an early lunch and had full intentions of going to the Community Center for my Sunday mid-afternoon run (I say like as if I normally do that on Sundays, and I don't... I felt the need to be honest there). However, I was feeling particularly proud of my hair today, and I didn't want the ponytail to ruin my luscious locks, so instead I went to Panera to be productive.

For the past week I have been trying to carve out time to work on this project thing that I created in my mind for a good friend of mine. My friend, we'll call her Stella, is on her spiritual journey and seeking answers and asking questions about who Jesus is, what his purpose is, ect. So, I wanted to take the opportunity this Valentine's Day to share with her the most beautiful love story ever, the story of Jesus the Christ.

So, that's what I set out to do at Panera today. It was suggested to me this weekend by a dear friend and mentor, Kimberly, to give Stella notecards on a ring that way she can take them apart if she'd like, and maybe carry it with her if she wants to... I liked the idea, so I ran with it.

As I went through the four gospels, choosing which miracles, stories, and encounters I wanted to include in the love story to build the character of Christ I couldn't help but be reminded of when I had heard these stories for the first time. Before I knew it, there I was in the middle of Panera teary eyed and over come with emotion. I was so thankful in that moment for how the Lord moved in my heart, for how is was speaking to me, for me, about those scriptures I was reading. In that moment, I felt such a sense of urgency in what I was sharing. I so longingly would love to see Stella find her home in the arms of Jesus, and for her to see the beauty of His life and sacrifice.

In Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love, he writes about an older woman named, Grandma Clare (or maybe it's Clara - anyways). When this woman describes her morning routine and time with the Lord, she says that when she's done each day, she is so excited and anticipates the next morning when she can be with Jesus again, that she is moved to tears. Gosh, wouldn't it be awesome to be a woman like that, to have the longing for that intimacy with God the way Grandma Clare does? Even an ounce of that would be so moving to behold, to treasure. Not only do I want that for my own spiritual journey, but I crave that for Stella. I pray that she not only finds true life at the foot of the cross, but that she finds true and irreplaceable intimacy in her relationship with the Father.

I plan on giving these notecards to Stella tomorrow, for Valentine's Day. I've never been the mushy-gushy Valentine's Day is awesome kind of girls, however tomorrow is a day to celebrate love and relationships. What better way to do that, then by giving my friend the greatest love story ever told, and His desire to share that love with us.

I'll be sure to keep you posted about Stella.