A Beautiful Life: It is Well With My Soul

By KL Andrews

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE IS ... The life of a baby born in a manger among His creation, beautiful feet that walked dusty roads sharing love and truth, and hands that healed to become hands that bore nails. Eyes of forgiveness looking at humanity as He hung upon a tree. And the glimmer of radiant eyes burning with radical love from the open tomb knowing He came for you. A beautiful life is seeing the footsteps left by those feet on this earth, stepping into the imprint becoming molded and made new; surrendering in the weight of the Father's great glory and love, lifted high to rise and shine, as our vessels are being made into New Wine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646707836

Book preview

Beginnings

True Beginnings

E

verything begins with an intent.

One can imagine a beautiful painting with the choice to pick up a paint brush. The thought may come to paint from a memory etched in the mind. As the lines and colors flow into each other, inspiration comes to life on canvas.

A song may sing in one’s soul. Sitting down to the piano or playing an instrument will unite notes in a melody. Words give play to thought. And emotions are stirred which are at rest in the soul. Somewhere within that song, there is found a bit of oneself and a new revelation begins to unfold.

What brought about the inspiration? The imagery? Stunning colors? A longing held within it all?

Did you know your life was created by inspiration and with intent? The Creator’s hand holds your life’s purpose and uniqueness. Divine and eternal thoughts of purpose are encapsulated into your being.

In Psalm 139, God tells us we were knit together in our mother’s womb. All of our ways are familiar to our Creator. Whether we sit or stand, travel or rest, He is present. Before a word is spoken from our mouths, the thought to create the words is already known.

Psalm 139:7–10 reads, Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

You are a creation of divine, unconditional, and infinite love.

God made you and chose to love you. As a parent chooses to love their child unconditionally, so is His love for you, in even greater ways than can be possibly imagined.

Did you know that you are a child of God?

Our Father in heaven holds an indescribable love for you. It isn’t intended to be a mystery but a revelation. That love pursues you and holds you for a lifetime and into eternity. You are covered and guarded, protected, and cherished in a covenantal love which does not break.

You, my friend, are chosen love.

In a world where everyone is chasing after acceptance, fleeing from fear and judgement and seeking security in changing variables, there lies a yearning created within. An unquenchable thirst, only met by a dry vessel, can fill you in this world. That small and empty feeling can never be fully reconciled without awakening to your true purpose.

Accepting the gift God gave to you of His Son, Jesus Christ, opens your heart to live abundantly in His amazing grace. God is relational and He desires a relationship with you. The pursuit of His love for you is so subtle yet powerfully orchestrated in the very details of daily living.

When we journey with God, those aspects of His presence are visible in everything. Life becomes colored in joy and peace unexplainable knowing each step taken is with purpose.

That doesn’t mean life will be without heartache, pain, or sorrow.

Hebrews 13:5 reads… Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. How comforting is it that the greatness of our Father holds together our hearts and hands while walking with us, even to the very ends of the earth.

What would our lives begin to look like if choices were made with the highest intent of inspiration rooted in truth, love, and purpose?

Time is spent on many different quests of pursuits. Beginnings move to endings and the endings bring about new beginnings. Life seems to circle in similar paths until purpose is fully realized and able to flow in the newness of awakened sight. In learning to live in the innocence of childlike wonder in timeless freedom, everything becomes alive with the richest of colors.

New beginnings happen in the most broken of places. The valleys often lead you to climb the greatest mountains. And some mountains become like stumbling blocks in your path, in which you slowly learn to believe that with strength, courage, and faith, they can be thrown into the sea.

Only your shoes can be filled and walked by you in this journey called life. There is a friend who wants you to know that you are seen, heard, and fiercely loved. The size of the shoe may be the same as another. However, in your uniqueness, only the Creator who designed you knows how everything perfectly fits for just the steps you will take across the landscapes of life.

Father, you made me. You made the heavens and the trees and the universe and everything in between. Creation sings of your presence. Let me adore you and worship you all the days of my life into eternity. In you is love eternal, through you is purpose, and life with you is joy unspeakable.

Chapter 2

Plan

T

here is a plan for

your life. It was spoken into your being and known from the beginning of all time.

Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse often referenced when it comes to the meaning of life. This verse reads, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

Freedom of choice is yours as well.

An ordinary life in this world will give you the worldly sense of comfort. Truly living in the journey glimpses wonders and miracles, revealing God’s presence and plan for your life.

So if there was a plan initially created, something so amazing that the human mind cannot even attain the knowledge, what is motivating our choices?

Different seasons of life are led by others, circumstances, and even ourselves. As children, we follow our parents and caregivers. We trust they will feed, clothe, and protect us. Growing older, we naturally become independent.

With growth comes choice.

Disappointments might have shattered illusions of dreams that didn’t hold. Hurts may have prevailed in perceived failures and loss. Maybe life has surface happiness with quiet emptiness. Within emotions of life, defining attachments or disassociations occur which necessitate growth.

Choices empower us to live beyond or distract us from where we could be.

Plans hold and carry a vision in sight. Knowing your purpose keeps you present to the fullness of being and becoming who you are called to be in the vision of God’s sight, of who He created you to be.

Have you ever noticed the different seeds planted along your path? You know, the ones that sprout up as new growth in the dream of something more? It’s as if you’ve known something more existed all along and you just can’t quite see it clearly yet?

There was an original plan designed for humanity. The Lord God walked in a beautiful garden created to be with His creation intimately. That plan got sidetracked in a delay of the very intent of who we were made to be.

We were designed with intentional love and to walk intimately in that love.

In the first book of the Bible, Genesis tells the story of Adam and Eve. They were given rules on how to live in a garden. They were told what they could eat and not eat for their protection and preserved intimacy of fellowship with God. Underneath the command was depth of knowledge to their ultimate well-being.

God knew the choice that would prevail in eternal life and the choice which would be shadowed by worldly death. And God already had a plan in place for the fall.

This garden is now guarded by angels. It hangs seemingly suspended and protected in the midst of a guarded and unseen realm. Yet the location is referenced in the Bible from the flow of water which watered the garden.

Genesis 2:10–14 reads, A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there). The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

After Adam and Eve made a certain choice, which was in disobedience to the Lord God, they were banished from the Garden of Eden to work the ground. But before they were left alone to go, God already had a provision in place. He covered them in love where they were exposed with sacrificial garments. Genesis 3:24 says, After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

They were ultimately removed from the ever-abiding and intimate presence of God—the best and richest plan for their lives.

Choices

How vibrant is the potential growth of who you were designed to be in an obedient walk with the Father? You originated from this original plan where the Lord God Himself walked with His creation.

Understanding the plan for humanity can be seen as one of great hope or a life of defeat from the onset.

Yes, there will be great sorrows and loss along the way. There is also wonderful happiness, joy unspeakable, and celebrations of life.

A key fits the lock to live fully in who you were designed to be throughout all of life’s seasons and changes. Jesus is the key which unlocks the door to your destiny. He is the way, the truth, and the life as John 14:6 tells us.

The path of walking with Christ and following in His footsteps will transform one’s life, thoughts, and very heart.

Jesus came and walked on this earth to remedy that original derailment in the garden beginning to God’s design for true living. He is giving you the option to be rescued from the wrong plan as He was the plan from the beginning.

But love is never forceful to make you choose.

Some of our own choices are held onto very tightly. You can take ahold of what frees you or let go of what enslaves you.

What keeps us chained to a life anchored to death?

Sin

It took us from where we were and keeps us from a close walk with God.

What is sin?

Ever notice how mud within water is very noticeable as it impedes clarity? And sediment settles?

When life stirs the waters, that settled mud is mixed in unwise choices. A murkiness brings forth an unclear cloud.

Sin is like this mud.

The more you desire of God’s will, the awareness becomes stronger of debris-clouded water. The desire for clean water becomes an unquenchable thirst. If you are drinking from the wrong well on a path of diversion, you become unwell.

The water must be purified and cleansed for the desire of the more. The light and love of God’s grace will warm the waters to recognize impurities. However, you must make the choice to surrender what muddies those waters.

God gives you freedom in your choices.

How clear can that water flow without sediment? And how much closer can our walk be with Jesus when we are purified and surrendered to His will for our lives?

We delay walking in our own destiny when our eyes can’t clearly see through our own muck.

Have you ever considered the why behind your own character? Are you a faithful and true person in every way? Have you ever been treated with the utmost respect consistently and faithfully?

We all fall short