To Whom It May Concern

To Whom It May Concern:

I love you. YOU. You who are reading this. You who need to hear it, you who don't believe me, you who don't like me. I love you. I love all of you. Your good, your bad, your ugly, your marvelous. I love you with or without tattoos and piercings. I love you with or without brand name clothes and nice cars. I love you on your good days and your bad. I love you whether you played sports, music or both. I love YOU. I love you when you are productive and when you are lazy. I love you no matter the color of your skin. I love you with or without a college degree. I love you whether you eat McDonalds or grow your own food. I love all of you. I love you whether you are gay, straight or undecided. I love you for your talents and your faults. I love you whether you are smart or struggle academically. I love you whether you have one great job or a couple crappy ones. I love you whether you read your Bible this morning or not. I love YOU. I love your laugh. I love your smile. I love when you are happy. I love all of you. I love you for who you are internally, not what you can do or provide for me. I love all of you whether we have had problems or a flawless past. I love all of you. Unconditionally.

I have made my fair share of mistakes. I have broken hearts, been careless with other's feelings, been distant, pushed away friends and family consciously and subconsciously. I have done and said things that have hurt people with and without my knowledge. I have made poor decisions that have effected people's lives. I constantly misuse effected and affected and have no idea which one is right at this very moment. I'm sorry grammar Nazi's. I'm sorry friends. I'm sorry family. From the pit of my heart I am whole-heartedly heart broken over the problems that I have caused and the ripples I have made in the past. Please accept my complete sincerest apology. If I have wronged you in any way, shape or form, I am genuinely sorry. I earnestly beg for your forgiveness.

Ya know, God is so gracious and perfect to forgive when we ask. Just like that. I am forgiven because I asked. New, fresh clean slate. In the same breath, I have forgiven myself. I am no longer bound by the chains of my past.

Now I ask you to do the same for me. Drop those chains. I am not obligated and will no longer carry a burden that I have been released from. I have been moving forward, faster and stronger than ever. My brain, heart and soul have been rocked in awe-inspiring ways in the past couple months and there is NO way that I am going to slow down. I know there is more, so much more. I have asked God to prepare me for what is to come. I know that He has paved my way and I will walk, run, and dance in obedience. I have prayed that God would work in only the way that He can. This is not a sudden realization. This post has been a long time coming. I have asked that He soften hearts and bring this to the people who needed to read this. To you. To Whom It May Concern.

My favorite part of the song below says this:

 

Hallelujah
We are free to struggle
We're not struggling to be free
Your blood bought and
Makes us children
Children, drop your chains and sing

 

Hallelujah, death is overcome
And we are breathing
Hallelujah, our stone hearts become
Flesh that's beating
Hallelujah, chains have been undone
And we are singing
Hallelujah, the fire has begun
Can you feel it?

 

I am not bound by chains any more. If you need me, I will not be wallowing in pity and regret in the corner. In fact, I haven't been there in a long time. Instead, I will be over here, dancing, singing, shouting, laughing, and running wild and free into a great and mysteriously wonderful crazy adventure.

Feel free to join me.