Introducing the Hopeful Hearts Charm!

I know I promised a story of survival but I have to admit THIS is how God showed up to me today.  Picking up the charm this morning and holding it in my hands.  I was speechless.  I kept going back to over five years ago when I couldn’t get to sleep and the components of this charm literally came at me in order 1, 2, 3. 

First I heard ‘Awake o sleeper arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.’  This repeated over and over until I got up to write it down.

Once back in bed I closed my eyes and saw 3 3 3  (for the Trinity).

Next I saw the 3 3 3 turn upside down and make M M M.

Mary,  Mary Magdalene and Maria Goretti all came to mind instantaneously as three strong women who had over come much hardship.  Mary the mother of Jesus who stood withstand a great amount of ridicule being pregnant out of wedlock but became one of the most respected (venerated) women in history, Mary Magdalene who overcame a great deal of insecurity and low self-worth victorious in restoring her life,  and Maria Goretti who died at the young age of 12 after defending the value of her purity when her neighbor tried to rape her and ended up stabbing her 14 times when she refused his advances.

For this I had to get up and write the names down because I knew I would never remember them in the morning.  When I layed back down I saw the 3 M’s upside down and the words that came to mind for the women –  Veneration, Victory and Value

Again I had to get up to write the words down.  Once again when I closed my eyes everything came together and I saw the 3 turned into an upside down M on top of the V which made a HEART.  And if you linked the three together it formed the triangle (original symbol of the Holy Trinity).

I could hardly contain my excitement and wrote everything that came to mind again on the paper.  I knew it all meant something but I had no idea.  The next day I called two young women in my youth group to come over, one of which was an artist, and told them everything.  I opened the bible to find the verse that I’d jotted down and opened directly to the verse (as God is my witness):

[box] Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. So do not be associated with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says:  “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:6-14 [/box]

This is when I knew my first memoir was also to be titled EXPOSED.  Emily, the artist, then sketched out what I imagined the night before. 

And there it was before me – a symbol of Victory, Veneration and Value.  I never knew what it would be used for except to have it in my masthead of my website.  When I formed Hopeful Hearts Ministry one year ago I knew it was my logo and now, now it has come to life and is a symbol that can be worn by survivors all over the world as testament to their worth.  Imagine running into another survivor with the same symbol and instantly you two know you connect in a very personal and healing way.

I cried once the shock wore off.  To see God’s hand so clearly always takes my breath away.

Now I need to work out a few logistics to get it up on the site for sale.  I plan to do a ‘Buy One, Give One’ in which you buy one and I will give one to a survivor with whom I work with at the shelters and safe homes.  OR if you know of a survivor and give me their story I’ll give it to you to give for free.

Thank you everyone for your prayers with this endeavor!!

Blessings

Shannon