And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Matthew 6:28
The calendar says spring has sprung. When I look at the gray drizzle outside my windows, the only sign of spring are the flowers that sway back and forth, trying to survive another brutal beating from the rain drops. The bright yellow of daffodils bring a little hope that eventually, we will see sunshine again.
With the changing seasons seems to come the time to clean out the closets and organize the house. We’ve made some good progress already at our house and I love it. It’s energizing to get rid of stuff.
But I don’t plan to stop there. A recent unpleasant surprise revealed some cobwebs and items that no longer fit, tucked away in the crevices of my heart. God loves to reveal those hidden spots in our heart and quite often, they’re painful. While I’d like to do a complete clean sweep and start over, God doesn’t work that way. He chips away at our issues, a little piece at a time.
I like to scramble around trying to put a band aid on the wounds because I don’t want to deal with the hurt and pain. It’s easier to put a bandage on and smile, pretending everything is okay. God doesn’t operate in the land of pretend. He might let us get away with it for a time but eventually He’s going to rip the bandage off and force us to face the wounds. Face the hurt. Face the pain. And then He brings complete healing. And our souls sigh in relief because they are finally free of the burden.
I didn’t enjoy the turmoil that came with my situation but when I faced it and told the truth, it was a release. I’m not hiding behind a facade that everything is okay. I stuck up for myself, after all these years and it felt really good!
What are you trying to cover up with a bandage? Do you feel God trying to rip it off and allow His healing breath to finally breathe new life into you and free your soul from bondage? Do you trust Him? You can’t do it on your own but with God all things are possible. Set yourself free my dear friend. Clean out those inner closets and let the Lord shine His light to clear away the cobwebs.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32
Blessings,
Great post!
This is was hard for me for a long time. I grew up with a family that used this technique for everything. As long as I played by the rules, of the game, all was fine. As soon as I decided I want to heal, things changed and eventually I had to walk away. I was saddened that my wanting to heal was so “wrong” but I wasn’t giving up on my path to do so.
The difficulties I have now are healing from the wounds someone else brings to my life. Wounds that heal as long as she is away but as soon as she is around again they are reopened. But you see there isn’t much I can do outside of pray and forgive, over and over and over again. This would be because she won’t allow herself to heal from wounds created nearly 40 years ago. These wounds are so deep that she can’t do anything more than feel sorry for herself and make others lives miserable too, or at least attempt to. To make matters worse, I’m the bad guy here. Why? Because I took her son from her, I made her a grandmother when she didn’t want to be one, and every year that my marriage lasts and holds strong she becomes more and more attitudinal and feeble (always sick, etc.). I might add that we just celebrated 17 years of marriage. I want the wounds she causes, to heal and stay healed but that just isn’t going to happen. However, I am relying on God to help me through the anger and pain she brings into my life and to my family, because I don’t know what more to do!?
Kathy, my situation is very similar to yours (it’s my ebook topic) and this person thinks he should be included in my life. We have to decide we can handle the continual hurt or not. I’m so sorry to hear that your MIL can’t move past the past and just love the family she has. I will be praying for you all. It is so very hard when it is family that hurts us. That’s the part that really frustrates me because it means it’s going to come up for as long as we’re both alive.
Congrats on 17 years of marriage! We just celebrated our 15th anniversary this month 🙂 God bless you!
Mel
Great post! God always confronts me in regards to spiritual discipline. Because of my past involvement in the occult, my dependence on the Lord is of the utmost importance. Thus, my prayer life, Bible study, and meditation require constant attention. Without this I start leaning on my own understanding and abilities, which always leads me astray!
blessings,
Mark
Mark,that is very wise! As long as we’re still breathing on this earth, He’s going to keep us in check 🙂 It’s amazing how fast and easy it is to get off track!
Mel
Great post! God always confronts me in regards to spiritual discipline. God in light me what is the true meaning of life and he help me how to take away my anger and insecurity to someone. And i do believe that with God all things are possible.