I have called you by name (Part 2)

I could hear the voice of the Lover of my soul reassuring me He understood where I had come from and where my heart was now, by showing me His nail-pierced hands. Flowing from those hands was forgiveness and healing, and if I took hold of them in faith, I would know a freedom I had never known before.

I so needed those who knew the Lover of their own souls to help me understand how to make this connection—ones with selfless motives unlike those who had first crossed my path. As I came out from hiding, I discovered there were people who had been sent to help me. They explained that the Great Deceiver wanted me to try and remove the arrows myself; or better yet, cover them up and carry on with the journey. He knew as long as the arrows were lodged there, I would not have room to receive the enormity of the Lover of my soul’s heart; nor, see the beauty this journey offered to those who walk in wholeness.

The Lover of my soul Himself sent these helpers, because they too, had allowed Him to remove their arrows. They told me the Lover of my soul had been there when I was formed in my mother’s womb, and had named me as He beckoned me to emerge from the rock in which I was shaped. By coming to Him, I would receive healing and forgiveness, as He was the only One who could take the arrows out of my pierced and poisoned heart. I had a choice to let go of the arrows and receive His love and healing touch, or leave them embedded in my heart. Looking into my wounded heart, I decided I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I gave Him my heart full of arrows. One by one, He removed them and they fell to the ground. The Lover of my soul’s heart began to fill mine, for now there was room with the afflictions of the arrows gone. In the acceptable and favourable time, the Lover of my soul heard and answered me, and in the day of my salvation He preserved me. The helpers explained that the arrows the Great Deceiver had used to destroy my life were now the very arrows the Lover of my soul was using to strike against him.

One of the helpers picked up the arrow of affliction—REJECTION, and turned it around to show me the Lover of my soul Himself had ACCEPTED me. I was honoured, chosen and highly favoured. Even

though the one who bore me had forgotten and forsaken me, my Lover had indelibly imprinted a picture of me on the palms of His hands. Another picked up the arrow of FEAR, and turned it around to show me that His LOVE had covered the FEAR in which I once walked. Another picked up the arrow of PERFORMANCE, and turned it around to reveal my Lover’s GRACE replaced the weight of trying to seek other people’s approval. I felt so free knowing His grace was all-sufficient for me. Another picked up the arrow of IMMORALITY. The very sin I had committed out of pride had been forgiven and was being turned into REDEMPTION to help bring others into a place of restoration. Then I picked up the arrow I had afflicted upon myself —BITTERNESS, and turned it around and saw its redemptive power—FORGIVENESS. With the same forgiveness I had received from the Lover of my soul, I was to extend that to others.

One of them reached over and picked up a quiver, but this quiver was empty. She placed it over me and explained the Lover of my soul had redeemed each of those arrows, and I would now discover the beautiful Treasure within. The very arrows the Great Deceiver had used against me, I was now to pull out and use against him. When a situation came my way that took me back to a place of REJECTION, I needed to pull out of my quiver the arrow of ACCEPTANCE, and use it to pierce the Great Deceiver. When FEAR would try and creep into my heart, I was to pull out the arrow of LOVE, because perfect LOVE casts out all FEAR. When I was tempted to seek the approval of people through PERFORMANCE, and live up to their expectations, I would pull out the arrow of GRACE, knowing that I was loved by my Lover, unconditionally. The only one I desired to please was Him, and not people, because my true worth and value was found in Him alone. And when I saw anyone being tempted to give their heart to a Lesser Lover, I was to pull out my arrow of REDEMPTION, and share my testimony with them, in hopes they wouldn’t be pierced with a similar arrow of IMMORALITY. When the Great Deceiver would attempt to seduce me into getting bitter or offended over the things people did or said, I was to pull out my arrow of FORGIVENESS, remembering I, too, had offended and grieved my Lover, and He had freely forgiven me. With this, the helpers bade me farewell and left…