Pearls.

God has been writing this story over the past 2 months. Some of it has been written at different points over the two months, and God has continued to weave the story together. My story is all for His glory. My life is a tapestry of His grace. 

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You are My daughter. 

Weeks ago I sat in front of this computer with my fingers on the keys, creating music according to the thoughts and words I saw reflected on the screen. I couldn't find the right words. The rhythm consisted of an influx of typing, a pause, and a continual pound, "delete, delete, delete..." My heart wanted to express the awe I felt of knowing that I was the daughter of God, but I didn't quite know how to do that.

He reminded me of His truth reflected through an earthly example of love and redemption. Over the past few months He has kept reminded me of this, revealing more of Himself as Daddy.

I was brought into a new family just weeks before I turned 16. This family showed me unconditional love, exemplified the patience of God's kindness, but more than that, they adored me as I was and desired me to know the full extend of God's holiness and calling on my life.

But life was not easy in the beginning. My understanding of love was completely broken. I thought that true love meant doing enough for someone, a constant striving to be good enough, to prove I possessed value, to make them love me. I was a bit of a mess. And yet this new family stuck by me. They prayed and protected me as God deconstructed my understanding of love, and replaced it with His.

I realised somewhere within the 2 and a half years of living with them, that I was truly theirs. I was the daughter of Ernie and Carey Kamber, the granddaughter of my Grams and Papa, the ones who took me as their own, no questions asked. Two years later, that was confirmed.

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It was months ago when I got the message that my grams had passed away. I was sitting in a lecture, completely unprepared, truly feeling the distance of the ocean left between me and my family. I didn't get to properly say goodbye. I didn't get to tell her how much I loved her, or hug her, or kiss her cheek. My heart was so sore. I felt like I hadn't loved her enough. I didn't get to know her well enough. I was only hers for 2 and a half years. Did she know I loved her? Did she know I was honoured to be her granddaughter? Did she know how thankful I was for raising her son in such a way that would mould him into the father he is to me today?

Even after she was gone, she affirmed that she loved me. I was her granddaughter. In her mind and heart, I was a Kamber. She left me with her pearls. Pearls that had been given to her by her mother-in-law. Pearls that held so much history. Pearls that had been in the family for decades. Pearls that had been worn by women in the Kamber family.

And now I had the privilege of hanging those pearls around my neck and wearing them on my finger.

It may seem small, but for me that was a huge moment in my life. My natural tendency was to doubt if I was truly a part of the family, but that gesture set it in stone on my heart that I am theirs.

I am a Kamber.

Last weekend I found myself sitting in a room full of women, engaging in the Word of God and seeking to hear from Him. I was a little skeptical. I wanted to hear from Him, but I didn't know how these people thought they were going to speak into my life when we had just met an hour ago. Someone asked if they could pray for me, taking her hand and placing my hand over my heart. She pressed her hand on top of mine and prayed. It was as if this woman saw into the depths of my heart, praying that God would show me that I am not His step-daughter, or seen as handicapped to Him.

Do I really view myself as a daughter of God?


In that moment I was so overwhelmed with realising how often I can fall into the trap of thinking God views me as His step-daughter... The one handicapped by sin... The one who struggles with obedience... The one who is never good enough. I think God is tired of me at times. I'm too much of a hassle. He doesn't want to hear my lousy, weak prayers again. He doesn't want to hear my tired plead for forgiveness yet again.

It was in that conference that God spoke so clearly to me through the women around me. We had a time of praying over each other and asking God to show us the true beauty and design He had for us as individuals. When they prayed over me, I was appalled at how God had shown them His desire for my life and the heart that He had created in me. They shared what God had shown them, and what He had shown them described me perfectly.

I sat there and cried. The God of the heavens knows my heart.

God knows your heart so intimately and deeply.

The God who named the stars named you, calling you His. He created you. He adopted you by not only His will, but by His pleasure. He took you from an orphaned life, not leaving you, but coming to you. He spent His life for you. He spilled His blood for you. He conquered death for you. He brought you from death to life.


If you are under His blood, You are His precious child.

Yesterday I was asked to share my testimony at a local church. As I woke up in the morning I got dressed, and delicately pulled out my pearls. I was honoured to be able to carry the Kamber family in my heart and around my neck as I shared the story that God had written. There were tears all around the congregation because people saw the earthly picture that God used to display His heart for us.

I got home and read my day word for that day - "Your story is for His glory (Hebrews 12:1-3)". In January I had prayed over the days of the year, asking God to speak to me clearly. For May 18th, God lead me to write that, of course, with Him knowing that I would share His story in my life on that morning. He once again affirmed that He is close, and that He is the Author and Perfecter of my life and my faith. All that He has done in my life is to glorify Him and to display Him as a our loving Heavenly Father.

He takes us out of our sin, our mess, our lives that never measure up - and He adopts us. He makes us His despite all that was against us. He knows us. He knows each day. He understands us. He loves us.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a

We are His beloved children. 

For more: 1 John 3:1-3, John 14:18, Hebrews 12:1-3, Ephesians 1:3-12, Psalm 8:3-4, Isaiah 40, & Isaiah 43:7