Seen, Heard, and Loved

Welcome to the Seen, Heard, and Loved Blog! My name is Laci and I hope what you find here is encouragement in your walk with Christ and a deeper relationship with Him! My newest posts will always be at the top of this home page and on the top of the “Blog” thread! I’m so happy to have you here! Feel free to comment, follow on Instagram, and build community!

  • Dorcas and The Timing of Today

    We’ve all heard that cliche saying – “Today is called the present for a reason, it’s a gift.” I know you’re rolling your eyes with me, right? Our first thought to follow is sure, if you didn’t have a pile of trials and tribulations surrounding you on both sides. The truth is, the hard circumstances of today, the confusion and fear of tomorrow, and even the shame of yesterday, can tempt us to forsake the value of today. We may even go so far as to disqualify ourselves from the beauty of where God has placed us.

    What could we possibly learn from a woman whose days weren’t written in clear detail? Though Dorcas (also called Tabitha) couldn’t make “a day in the life” Tik Tok for us, follow me to Acts 9 and let’s see what characteristics marked her life and the evidence of her efforts. 

    We don’t know a lot about Dorcas, but Acts 9:36 tells us that she was a woman living in Joppa at the time of Paul’s ministry and that she was “always doing good and helping the poor.” When she died, the surrounding community was devastated. As a town on the seacoast, Joppa was inhabited by many widows who had lost their spouses to maritime accidents. By “doing good and helping the poor,” Dorcas made sure not to take a single “today” for granted during her time on earth; she knew that she could make an impact in a grief stricken place. 

    We don’t know whether or not Dorcas lost her own husband in this way, but it is evident that she felt a deep compassion for those around her which moved her to action. After she was sick and passed away, the community called for Paul to come visit and many widows showed him “the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them” (v.39). What tangible evidence of the way she loved and cared for those around her! 

    The Honors Society that I was in during college was named after Dorcas and I’ve read the story a million times as I was brought in and as I had the privilege of bringing in other girls. Questions like “what does it mean to ‘give of yourself’?” and “what tangible things can you use to help someone today?” were things that we sought to answer and challenged one another to live out. All the while, what we were truly wondering is how to live a sacrificial life – one like Jesus lived. 

    Even having read the story before, one thing resonated with me in my post-grad life more than it had ever before. Six small words that read “while she was still with them” pricked my heart and I began to think about the fluctuation of seasons in our lives. It’s easy, especially when planning out big future events like marriage and careers, to constantly wonder what the next step is that God has for us. After all, He is our Provider and we can absolutely trust Him to work out our future. 

    But more times than not, we fail to realize that we are currently living in an answered prayer and if not that, then still a God-given opportunity. He makes no accidents about how He provides and where He positions us even for a short season. 

    In college, my dear friend Hannah, from the Dorcas Honors Society, encouraged us with the following prayer regarding our futures, which is my current reality. Her prayer was this: “May God send us where the Gospel needs to go forward.” For me, post-grad, that is Orlando, FL. For others it was to remain at Young Harris or move across the world. Now we’re all living in the place we’re supposed to be based on the answer to that prayer. 

    If you’re like me, maybe you know what it’s like to carry fear and anxiety about your future. What job will I have in 3 months? Will this family member be healed? Who will I marry? Who will I disappoint by choosing a certain path? The list goes on. 

    Though we don’t have a full account of Tabitha’s life, we do know this – “while she was still with them” the joy and God-given peace she had weren’t just stored in her heart, they were reflected in the work of her hands. I’m sure she didn’t know that with each stitch in each piece of clothing, she was leaving a legacy much bigger than herself. Each time she simply focused on helping someone “today” and made a profound impact on their tomorrow. 

    I’m guilty of worrying about the future, wondering if I can mess up what God has for me, and striving to figure out the next step. All along though, God is asking me “where are you still?” and who is your “them”? Because for today, that should be the focus. If I’m where I am, if you are where you are, that the gospel might go forward, will we join Him in partnership to ensure that happens? Or will we become so consumed with fear for our own life that we miss the impact He is asking us to make on those around us? 

    If this post encouraged you today, please continue to follow along and share with friends! Also, please follow @seenheardandloved on Instagram for constant updates! Feel free to DM the account anytime if you have any questions or prayer requests!

    Love you, but God loves you more!

    Prayers Always,

    Laci Rae

  • Beautifully Positioned and the Posture of Expectancy: Waiting Part 2

    Hey Friends, welcome back! Last time we talked about God’s gentle and delicate hand as we’re awaiting His divine blessing. You may say, “Laci, that’s all well and good, but what about how painful it is to look up and still see no change?” Well, I know that feeling all too well and today we’re gonna talk about just that. Hopefully, you walk away with some encouragement for how to have an expectant heart while waiting for your circumstance or season to change! Let’s dive in!

    In the book of Acts, we learn about the apostles’ persistence in sharing the gospel and kick-starting the early church. They performed miracles in Jesus’ name, they went constantly up against religious authority regardless of the consequences, etc. They were pretty cool guys for the kingdom of God, to say the least. Particularly, in Acts chapter 3, Peter and John were going to the temple one morning for the 9 am sacrifice. Verse 2 tells us that, “a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;” (NKJV). So here’s a man, who every single day, because of his inability to walk, had to be carried by others to the temple just to petition people for the money he would need to eat that day. Talk about feeling hopeless and desperate.

    But don’t miss this — he was positioned at a gate titled “beautiful.” Sometimes, we feel such a desire to walk through such a gate when we can’t, that we miss what God wants to do by having placed us there. The Word says the man was expecting to receive something from Peter and John (v.5), he just had no idea what, yet. Your waiting is beautiful because it gives God a chance to move. We can’t skip over the rest of the story. The Word says this, “Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God” (NKJV).

    The lame man, as promised to us in Ephesians 3:20, is given “exceedingly and abundantly more” than he could have ever ask, think, or imagine. But it came through the direct power of Jesus and how His disciples stewarded their authority in Him. Next, consider verse 10, which states, “Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” His healing became a testimony to others.

    Even when you don’t have all the answers or understand why God is or isn’t doing something, your waiting or hardship is a beautiful position because God can give you daily provision (the alms/ money for the man), while also working up something better for your good and more importantly, for His glory. Your change could come at any time, and in the meantime, a powerful testimony is under construction.

    Lastly, consider our Savior. Jesus — who knew that the outcome of going to the cross would be his resurrection and God’s victory (Matt. 16:21 and Matt. 20:19) — can sympathize with our waiting. The fact that He knew the outcome didn’t change the physical and emotional pain that He endured on the cross for the sake of our sins. He says in Matt. 7:46 from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Here’s the truth: knowing the outcome of a situation/waiting period, or not knowing it, doesn’t change the pain we endure. Even our Savior, knowing the end result, felt overlooked and abandoned by the Father. Do you believe now that He understands how you are feeling?

    In reality, Jesus was beautifully positioned so that His blood could atone for our sins. Maybe your suffering, your position, is for the good of someone else — whether you could help them now or later in life. Then! Three days after His death, God’s glory was displayed through the resurrection of Christ! This is our greatest hope. We have a Savior who understands that not every position always “feels” beautiful, but that it can make room for God to move in a mighty way. And that is where and why we can find expectancy in our waiting.

    Your pain and waiting may be an essential instrument in a future testimony. If we’re truly living for God, then we should want His glory to shine through our lives and be expectant that for His name’s sake, He hasn’t left us or forgotten us. My challenge is to choose a bigger picture perspective when your position doesn’t seem so beautiful. One that believes the story that God is writing for you will be one of victory and inspiration to others. David says in Psalms 37 that he’s “never seen the righteous forsaken.” Right now, you may feel hopeless and ready to give up on trusting God with your situation. Maybe you have even begun to accept the bare minimum with little faith that God can move in your life again. But even in your worst pain — like the lame man and like Jesus — you are beautifully positioned to experience His provision, His presence, His blessing, and His glory.

    Friend, choose to believe that the turmoil you feel today will one day be a powerful testimony. One even better than your wildest dreams –because you serve a good and faithful Father.

    Hiya folks! I’m Laci! Writing to encourage you in your walk with Jesus! If this helps you, feel free to share with friends and subscribe to become part of this community! With questions or concerns, please DM my instagram @seenheardandloved

    Thanks for tuning in! See ya’ll next time!

    P.s. as a general rule I’ll try to post a new blog every month or so! Some months I may post more, so make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications to stay updated! Love ya’ll, but Jesus loves you more!

    – Laci Rae :)

  • The Gentleness of the Master Creator and Deliverer: Waiting Part 1

    Okay, let’s be real for a moment . . . waiting on the Lord isn’t easy, but you probably already know this. You’re like duh, Laci, it can be a time filled with despair and hopelessness. Asking “hey, God, did you forget about me over here?” Let me just say this: I hear you. Whether you are waiting on a job, a relationship, a hard situation to pass, or something else, you know what it’s like to feel all alone. Plus, the longer you wait, the more tempting it can be to believe the lie that your situation will never change.

    I myself am waiting for a blessing and deliverance from the Lord and in a couple of areas of my life. But God — who is so faithful to speak into our darkest moments — encouraged me and I want to share that encouragement with you.

    About two weeks ago now, I was sitting on an 18th-floor balcony of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I was on vacation with my family; we had the best time and I thank Jesus for the opportunity to have taken the trip. But back to this moment. I had just finished talking with God and reading my Bible and I found myself wondering “have I been overlooked yet again?” It’s easy to look at the blessings of others in a time of waiting and wonder why hasn’t the Lord changed things for me, too.

    In this moment, God sent a sign to speak to my discouraged heart. A literal sign. It was small and dead center on the railing of our balcony. It read: “For the safety of others, please refrain from dropping items from the balcony. Mahalo.” So simple, yet what the Lord revealed to me was so profound. I immediately thought of the scripture “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NKJV). After I thought of this verse, I realized that if I wanted to send something down to the bottom of the hotel, I wouldn’t throw it over the edge of the balcony. Not only would that be a danger to others, it would also likely break whatever I was trying to send to someone. I wouldn’t haphazardly throw something important to someone I care about who was standing down below.

    Neither would God. Many times, it is easy to see the blessings that God is sending down to others and be discouraged. I’ve often thought God, when will it finally be my turn? However, at this moment God revealed to me that because of his consistent character (“who does not change”), He is taking care of me and my incoming blessing in ways that I can’t see yet. I realized that not only is He orchestrating a blessing beyond my imagination, but He is also handling it with gentle care. He doesn’t want to bring His children something that isn’t ready, nor does He want us to be lacking in readiness.

    What if the thing you are waiting on is something that God is crafting so divinely and carrying to you so gently, step by step? My prayer is that you would know that the Father sees your heart. He hears your sorrowful cries. He sees you celebrating well those who are receiving the blessing that you desire. He doesn’t turn a blind eye to those faithful to Him. He is simply carrying your blessing to you on His time so that it reaches you in perfect condition and when you are in the best place to receive it! Waiting on God’s timing and blessing may not always be easy, but it will be worth it. 

    "but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40: 31)

    In Matthew 7:11 Jesus reminds us, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Believe today that He wants to bless you with His BEST, for your good and His glory! 

    If this post encouraged you today, please continue to follow along and share with friends! Also, please follow @seenheardandloved on Instagram for constant updates! Feel free to DM the account anytime if you have any questions or would like to speak with me directly! 

    Love you, but God loves you more! 

    Prayers Always, 

    Laci Rae

  • Hey guys!

    Welcome to the Seen, Heard, and Loved blog! This is a space for Godly-community and encouragement found in the word of God! I hope you will follow along!