Kisses from Katie

Katie's been compared to Mother Teresa and Amy Carmichael and I would have to agree and do the same.

I feel Katie is wise beyond her years and she shares this wisdom in her beautiful book.

For example Katie writes about...Psalm 37:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." 
                   
"I used to believe it meant that if I did what the Lord asked of me, followed His commandments, and was a 'good girl,' He would grant all my desires and make my dreams come true. Today, this is still one of my favorite passages of Scripture, but I have learned to interpret it in a totally different way. It is not about God making my dreams come true but about God changing my dreams into His dreams for my life."

If you follow my blog you know I've been quoting Amy Carmichael book 'if' on Fridays. There is one quote that really struck me and I think about often:

If...I refuse to allow one who is dear to
        me to suffer for the sake of Christ,
if I do not see such suffering as the
       greatest honor that can be
       offered to any follower of the
       Crucified,
then I know nothing of Calvary love.

Now this doesn't mean I want my child to suffer, but that I be willing to give them up to the Lord and trust Him with them.

This is hard. It was hard for me when my daughter went to Africa and it was hard for Katie's parents when their daughter decided to live in Africa.

and yet Katie says here:

"Sometimes I felt it was easier to cling to Jesus in that state of having nothing (in Africa) than it was to cling to Him while surrounded by the abundance of America. Although I was not physically hungry or in need, my soul was thirstier than ever."

Isn't that what every Christian parent wants for their child, to cling to the Savior? Isn't that the only way a person can really get to know Him?

One particular thing that stood out to me in this book was how she talked about her children...the thirteen girls she has adopted!

Katie has such a mother's heart and I loved reading about the simple daily things us mothers do everyday that mean so much to a child. It was encouraging as a mother myself. We really do have the most important job in the world!

Katie with her 13 daughters

Lastly near the end of the book Katie talks about how she is often surprised by how much God loves her.

She writes about it here:

"I was sharing all of this with a friend recently, this wonderful surprise of how much He delights in me. He simply laughed and said, 'Of course. He loves you, Katie. You are one of His favorite people.' 

The truth resonated in my spirit. Yes, that is what I feel like: one of His favorites, lavished with His love. Isn't that what He wants each and every one of His children to feel, all the time? 

The big God of small details loves each one of us so intimately, created each of us in His image. Each one of us is cherished. How would life change if we thought of each other as such? If each person who approached us we treated as beloved of God, cherished by God, one of God's favorite people? 

The God of the universe delights in you. In me. In them. 

Could we rest in that? Could we love like that?"

I think that was my favorite passage in the book! : )

I can't tell you how inspiring Katie is and how I enjoyed her wisdom, wisdom she is living out. I highly recommend her book.

Visit Katie's ministry blog:amazima

Buy it HERE on Amazon