10/05/2026
Have you ever wondered why I chose Made 4 More as the name for my mosaic ministry?
For those who want to know, it’s a long story, but I will share some of it in this post. Warning- it will be lengthy, so grab a seat.
Every believer will be faced with many challenges to their faith throughout their journey this side of heaven. Some of these will rock you to your core and test your resolve to stand firm. These are the seasons that you realize you are not in control and He is the only One who you can cling to for the very will to keep going.
You may lose the joy of your salvation in the heartache and grief of the losses, whatever they may be. It may even be the loss of what you thought your life was supposed to look like. You may even begin to question His love for you, by allowing it into your life in His Sovereignty, even though He has well proven His love. In our humanity, we have a lot of ideas over what everything should look like. If we are obedient, and check off all the boxes, everything should work out, right?
Not really. If everything were smooth sailing, how would we build those deep character traits needed to provoke compassion for other hurting people?
Would we even stop long enough to notice the people with downcast spirits and care about them? Or would we just keep building our own kingdoms?
The odds are not in our favor that we would be able to relate to the hurting if we had not walked through our own seasons of hurt.
The name. The name came from a very painful season that had stripped me of joy and of every hope outside of heaven and made me long for a hastening of leaving this earth. Sounds dire doesn’t it? But it is the raw truth of it.
That particularly dry summer, combined with my frail spiritual condition, had led to losing 4 of my bushes in the front of my home. My mind was so wrapped up in my heartache, that I neglected regular watering necessary to keep them alive. My dead bushes actually felt reflective of my daily realities of dying hopes.
One particular day, I decided I needed to water what was still alive to keep them from the same fate.
As I was watering, I was singing softly to myself, “I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You, oh my soul, rejoice…..”.
Mind you- this was not sung in joyful gratitude- but in monotone, completely devoid of positive emotions. It was me, making a choice to sing, when I did not feel like it. Bringing a sacrifice of praise.
Just like every other step that I had taken, during this season, to keep moving forward in obedience, the best way that I knew how, even though I felt like I was dying inside.
There are countless times, throughout my walk with the Lord, that He has communicated with me in various ways. This particular time, He used my mouth to speak what He wanted me to hear, in the midst of my singing.
Out of my mouth came the words, “I made you for more than this.”
To which I returned the same words as a question to Him, followed up by more questions like, what do You mean? What do you want from me? And then a statement of I have nothing left to give.
It still brings tears to my eyes as I remember that interaction and the days that followed as I tried to recover my hope and joy and seek answers as to what He wanted me to do.
That is where the name came from.
That is where my compassion for other hurting people came from.
And it continues to come from the places in my heart that still hurt, from time to time, when I allow myself to stop and reflect on the things that I wish were different.
And that is ok. It is okay to cry sometimes and to talk to Him about the hurts in our hearts. He already knows.
He uses all of it, every last bit of it, to draw us closer to Him and to mold us more into His image. He comforts us and reminds us that this is not our home. It is a temporary layover that is a training ground in righteousness. We cannot afford to take our eyes off the prize in this race. When we get home, all the heartache in this world will no longer matter. Only what is done for Him in His name will last. And He is worthy of it all.
Scriptures for reflection:
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Hebrews 13:15
Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Romans 11:36
For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
In this hurried life of mine, I did not take good photos of the mosaics I recently delivered to The Barn & Basket Market, so this one will have to do. 😊
I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful weekend and are fully assured of His love for you! Come what may, He is with you and He is for you! 💕🙌🏼💕
