Letter to Jericho

Dear Jericho Maliyah,

You just woke me up kicking around inside of me (you are about 6 months in baking).  I love that you did, because I now have a whole heart that is welled up in love for you, and thoughts that I have for you and want to share with you.

There is a lot of talk and letters written to this Hollywood girl named Miley Cyrus as of late.  Letters from men, women, and also, some concerned and saddened mothers.  She has recently debuted herself to the public in a way that has both disturbed and broken hearts, mine included.  Here, I see a girl who needed/could still greatly benefit from her own family sharing her importance, worth, truth about her identity, and love for her.

I don't know how old you will be or where technology will be when you read this (this whole blogging thing could be for the stone ages for all I know!) but I want to take a moment to "pen" out my heart for you, my little Jericho.

The world is an enticing place, and if you want to fit in with the world, then you can do the great balancing act. 
***side note: slight and temporary sarcasm may follow as I talk about worldly standards***
***End side note***

Beauty:  This is a tough one. For men, be skinny, because that is the "standard" of beauty but not too skinny, or you might lose your curves and instantly become unappealing and a mockery of beauty.  For women, they might hate you if you are skinny, yet you will secretly be their greatest role model , because they want that.  If you are heavy, maybe you have a chance at fitting in because you will make insecure women feel better about themselves.  By all means, do what it takes to fit the mold, but just don't get an eating disorder...or at least don't talk about it.  The world doesn't want to hear it. 

Also, sex.  You must ooze sexuality without being overtly sexual.  There is a balancing act here, too, my daughter.  In the worlds eyes you in just one wrong move can go from having sex appeal (necessary to win any "love") where every guy seems to be vying for your affections, (which really, he wants your body...your heart? Naw, why bother?) to raunchy and a "poor sad case" to be mocked and kicked aside in disgust.  Maybe you will be used as a source of entertainment, or for other's to feel better about themselves before getting kicked to the curb...if you're so lucky. 

Love.  If you want to receive the love the world offers, it's easy.  Really, just learn how to love yourself, and then figure out a way to "love" others in a way that will ensure that they love you back.  Give, so you can receive.  If you don't receive the fulfillment you are looking for, move on until you find it.  You have to first acknowledge that you are loveable and then work your way up in earning that love from others.  You have...to perform.  No big deal.  

....ok, here is where my sarcasm endeth...

My daughter, I put in bold the phrase "great balancing act"  because that is what life is to you when you seek to find your worth and identity in the world; an act.  You will never be enough, do enough or feel enough to win a permanent seat in the play called "worldly affections."  This is why I used quotation marks around the words beauty, sex and love...because the world's definitions are not true definitions/representations of them. 

Life is a battlefield for your soul, my precious one.  Satan, our enemy, would have you any way he can get you.  He loves to prey on women in the area of beauty, sex and love.  He feeds us "tricks" to strive after, and they (myself included) strive so hard to get worth and love from performing  these tricks, that they miss what is right in front of them!

YOU. ALREADY. ARE. BEAUTIFUL.  LOVED.  ACCEPTED. 

My daughter, Jesus loved us when we were still sinners! Romans 5:8 says "But God showed His love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus accepts us for who we are. Jesus died for you, for me and for all of our sins and we have nothing to earn, but everything to gain!  The Gospel, daughter, is life!  I encourage you to hear the lies of the enemy, the lies of the world and throw them away as dung.  View the world's promises of freedom as shackles.  I pray that you would see God's way of life as freedom, because that is what I have found in Him.  Galations 5:1: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery."  That yoke of slavery is the world. Us in our sin without Christ.  

Your children's Bible (by Sally Lloyd Jones) which we will be reading to you has a few phrases in it that I absolutely love and want to share here with you:  

"so God breathed life into Adam and Eve. when they opened their eyes, the first thing they ever saw was God's face. and when god saw them he was like a new dad. 'you look like me' he said 'you're the most beautiful thing I've ever made!' God loved them with all of his heart.

and they were lovely because he loved them." (p. 26)

"Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: 'it will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! and when I do, I am going to do battle against the snake. I'll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I am coming back for you!'

And he would. One day God himself would come." (p. 36)

Yes!  Jesus already came, Jericho! You are already lovely because he loves you!  So simple, and so profound.  

Your name: 

Jericho- "His Fragrance"
Maliyah - "Beloved"

Your name is beautiful and your father and I chose it for you with great thought and prayer.  If you are pelted by the world to "be" someone, just remember that you are already God's Fragrance.  His beloved.  

I want to share one more thing with you about your name...I am pasting an excerpt from facebook that I wrote a little while back.  I am not sure facebook will be around still when you are older, and I certainly am unsure that the "hashtag" thing will still be in use, but if you are in any way confused about this part of my letter, just ask me. ;)  Here is what I wrote:

I'm thinking about the name we gave our daughter Jericho, and praising the Lord.  The meaning, "His fragrance" was very much one we wanted to have encapsulating who her identity is in the Lord.  What we hadn't remembered until a recent sermon at church reminded us, is that Jericho was a city whose water was causing women to miscarry (it was cursed).  In God's great mercy and kindness, he chose to give Jericho, his fragrance, a picture of redemption (though undeserved!) through his servant Elisha.  2 Kings 2:21-22: "Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it." So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke."  Wow.  Are you kidding me!?  Our daughter Jericho gets to grow up bearing the identity of our Lord's fragrance.  Not only that, but she is HIS beloved (Maliyah!).  And God, being a loving God, chose to heal me from miscarriage and thus bring about her life!  Thank you Father! Thank you for your tender and loving kindness.  Thank you for making your children who are unlovely, lovely...through Jesus.  #HealedWater #GraceUndeserved #Jericho"

Jericho, your father and I love you so much already and you aren't even on this earth yet.  We are not naive enough to think that our own sinful hearts will not cause you hurt and "mommy/daddy issues," but we pray that you will be so engulfed and rooted in who you are to Christ, the perfect one, that you will not be crippled by our failures.  That you would bring forth a better generation than your parents.  That you would love like Christ loves.  God chose you to be on this earth.  Had He not taken your brother or sister early (our miscarriage before you), you would not be here!  So, your physical life because of death. Also, your spiritual life, because of death.   

My final words to you are from 2 Corinthians 5:17:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold! the new has come." 

Daughter, die to sin, and live in Christ!

P.S.  I write all of this from my heart, but also as one who has struggled with identity and fear of man and not God.  One who has not lived like she is accepted and beloved even when she knows in her head that she is.