Karen 'Girl' FridayThank God for Stories of Rescue and Redemption

Thank God for Stories of Rescue and Redemption

It’s high time we celebrated stories of rescue and redemption. And thank God for our own story of rescue.

Stories of when loss turned to gain; when darkness turned to light; when true hope won over hopeless, and when over-comers sung a victory song.

And when we share our stories, they help others, have the ability to heal us, and make us brave souls armed with courage.

Still, I used to struggle telling the world Once upon a time lived a girl. So I avoided recounting my story—reminiscent of my rough start to life.

My untidy announcement to the world fell short of a glorious celebration. Baby twin girls made their grand entrance early.

But the early bird doesn’t always get the worm. About to give birth, my mother took a taxi to the hospital alone, not knowing the whereabouts of my dad.

Two babies shocked everyone including the doctor. For several days my father remained unaware he had twins—before he saw me and held me.

All 3 pounds and 9 ounces of me laid in a neonatal incubator. Innocence wrapped in a hospital blanket with no clue of the other brokenness lurking nearby.

Stories of Rescue

Empty places waited for me as if they considered themselves my friends. Unwelcome companions hoping to walk alongside me through life.

While monitors kept tabs on my vitals, someone else behind the scenes kept watch over my heart. The heavenly Father saw me, knew me, and held me close—aware of everything about me.

Unbeknownst to me, God continued to stay near throughout my childhood. He desired to become my welcomed companion. And to one day rescue and transform me from hurt to hope, lack to bounty, and lost to found.

Stories of rescue: when loss turned to gain; when darkness turned to light; when true hope won over hopeless, and when over-comers sung a victory song. Share on X

Genuine transformations occur when we lay down the lie it’s okay to go without what matters most.

New Beginnings

That’s never more true than with less-than-perfect starts in life. Those we almost never celebrated or thanked God for. What follows after our beginning, how we process it, and where we go next, helps us thrive today.

But attempts to restart our own life and recover from lack can lead us down the wrong paths. The direction we head is important to the outcome. We must be willing to make any necessary U-turns to land somewhere solid—the places God leads us as He positions us for a fresh start.

My new start came when I allowed my heavenly Father to rescue me and fill in every gap someone or something failed to fill.

Stories of Rescue and Redemption

So now I celebrate and embrace my story. And thank God for it. Because the Lord rescued, redeemed, and gave new life to a young girl.

Friend, if you experienced a less-than-desirable beginning in life or you endured empty places in childhood or adulthood, I hope you know Jesus as Rescuer and have a redemption story.

I hope you know Jesus as Rescuer and have a redemption story. Share on X

And I hope you celebrate your story of rescue and redemption with a victory song or dance—whatever matches your style.

Thank God for it!

Since no merriment ever sparkled without gifts, presents await us. Some of us searched for these gifts our entire life.

God waited for us to realize how much He wanted to gift them to us, and how they really already belonged to us from day one.