6 minute read
Darling Daughter
Written by Katy Evans of Darling Daughter
Growing up my mum was definitely my biggest influence, I’ve always said that if I grow up to be like her I’ll be very happy. When I say she’s my biggest influence, it’s mostly due to the fact that she’s one of the primary factors for why I view the world the way I do. That’s because she is the biggest advocate for softheartedness. Whenever I was faced trials as a child my mum would always advise me, guide me, and pray with me through them in a way that maintained the softness of my heart. I think that’s why I love words so much because a few of them if passed gently in someone’s direction can have a lasting effect on the disposition of their hearts.
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I’ve always been a bit of a writer. I journaled a lot, wrote stories as a child, albeit I was always too shy to share them and got carried away with writing letters to my friends because it was the kindest thing I knew how to do. I think when I met God, like really met Him, I had this craving to fill pages with lots of lovely words because I just didn’t know how else to express my feelings. It also helped me maintain this soft-heartedness that my mum so persistently instilled in me.
Just over a year ago I went through a pretty big heartbreak, which, not to be dramatic, I thought might be the end of me. It took a lot for me to overcome it, however, throughout the process of trying to pick up the pieces I was very much determined not to allow this to harden my heart and God, in the very faithful way that He does, helped me keep my heart soft and open… and He did so with words. It was as if my mind, which had not been filled with the kindest of thoughts, was all of a sudden, completely infected by this phrase ‘darling daughter.’ Each time I heard it my heart somehow pinpointed the emotion I was felt and I would just write, just as though God was writing a letter to me, titled ‘darling daughter.’
Now this wasn’t something that I was planning on, or even really willing to share. I kind of wanted it to be something to keep to myself, between me and God and have it be our little thing. However, He never does anything for the sake of it, and everything can be used to bring Him glory, even heartbreak. I felt this push to share the stuff I had been writing, with all honesty, maybe expecting just some of my friends to read it and that would be about it. But all of a sudden these people that I didn’t know were reading these letters and God began to move.
It breaks my heart a little bit to know that so many of us are in such a place where our souls are crying out for value to be spoken over us in any, and whatever way possible, but thankfully God pours value over us like we’re standing in a torrential rainstorm. It’s become pretty apparent that words speak directly to people’s hearts and from experience, I can say people’s hearts are not something you mess around with. It’s also become pretty apparent that God is building up a generation of women ready for the battle.
Now, if I’m totally honest, the whole Christian girl blogger thing, isn’t really my cup of tea, which is probably a little hypocritical of me to say. But the reason I say this is, is that there’s a lot of hype around this wishy-washy, picture perfect, airy-fairy Christianity which doesn’t really seem to line up with anything that we are called to be. The generation that we live in is doing everything possible to rob us of our value. Our lives scream of striving and insecurity yet we are probably barely even surviving. However the words we have are able to be tools. Tools that we can use in order to keep our hearts soft and our spirits strong so that we are intimately aware of the One who crafted us with the intention of putting abundant value into every crevice of our being. I don’t know about you, but that gives me an awful lot of hope.
Women are pretty courageous beings, extremely driven, extremely strong and when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and motivated by the cross, I truly believe we have the ability to empower and lead generational change. Now, this isn’t something I say lightly of course, but I’m confident there’s a shift coming. A real tangible shift in people, and it all starts with value. I’m also pretty confident that words have a huge part to play in this.
If you think of words like building blocks, it can become an incredible tool for the value we place on people. We have an opportunity to invite people into a place of true love, true peace and true identity. When we speak kind words over on another, we host people in a house of value and lead them into a land of intimacy with the Father. Each word we speak can build a house and influence the place in which we accommodate people in our minds and hearts. When we build a house for every person we meet and invite them in, they should be completely saturated with the value that Jesus places on them to empower and step into all God has for them without any attachments to insecurities. You always notice the difference in the confidence that people have when they feel safe and secure around others who place value on them. Washing someone in value invites them into a place of safety whilst instilling insecurity in someone does not.
All in all, let me tell you, there’s a shift coming in our generation. A generation that will take heart and battle the insecurities and mistruths festering in our soul. As the words of a Christ driven society begin to cry louder than anything, we will see a people that are so secure in the knowledge that they are valued, that they acknowledge that they are a son or daughter of the Creator of heaven and earth and know that the future is radiating with change. A soft-hearted, overwhelming, overflowing with value kind of change. I have come to speak this over my life and have seen myself become more and more like these qualities every single day. And the same creator is writing millions of values over every individual. Only God knows what this looks like in reality. Until then, I am eagerly awaiting in anticipation.
