Howdy!  I’m Amy.  Yes, I know the blog name says “Lucy”, but she is an inspiration or role model.  Instead, I’m just Amy.  I love the Lord, because He first loved me.  I also love my husband and our four boisterous boys.  In fact, I’m an introvert who loves a whole lot of people.

I’ve learned, and I continue to learn, that God uses our weaknesses to showcase His strength.  So while I may be inclined to live like a hermit in the woods, I continue to find myself in situations that involve me ministering to others.  Over the years I have developed unlikely people-centric passions for hospitality and encouragement.  Any good that comes from this is evidence of God’s work in my life!

On this blog I write about my efforts trying to make the most of the opportunities I’m given to honor and glorify God.  Daily life is not always fun or easy, but there are so many lessons we can learn through it!  So instead of despising the mundane, or running from the difficult, I choose to look for ways that God is teaching me.  I hope to be able to encourage others through these stories!

Now, who is Lucy and why is she holding an outdated (and broken!) piece of weaponry?

I’m so glad you asked!  Lucy comes from The Chronicles of Narnia, written by C.S. Lewis.  She is my heroine.  An amazing character who is simultaneously kind and strong and generous and full of faith.

The sword is inspired from my favorite poem: “Opportunity” by Edward Rowland Sill.

“This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:–

There spread a cloud of dust along a plain;

And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged

A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords

Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince’s banner

Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes.

A craven hung along the battle’s edge,

And thought, “Had I a sword of keener steel–

That blue blade that the king’s son bears, — but this

Blunt thing–!” he snapped and flung it from his hand,

And lowering crept away and left the field.

Then came the king’s son, wounded, sore bestead,

And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,

Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,

And ran and snatched it, and with battle shout

Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down,

And saved a great cause that heroic day.”

In the poem, two people looked at the same item but came to different conclusions about it.  The coward (craven) thought that his weapon wasn’t good enough so he broke it and threw it away.  But the prince saw that exact sword, now broken, and recognized it as his opportunity to continue fighting and become victorious.  That’s who I want to be: a person who sees the broken pieces of my life as opportunities to do great things.  And I also want to be like Lucy who is kind and strong and generous and faith-filled.

I want to be Lucy with the Broken Sword.