Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Will you dive in?

Will you dive in?
Fully identify yourself with Christ,
be “All in!”
in the game.
Fear makes me want to put my toe in
(not dive).
Fear can go in a little
and still change it's mind.

But when I dive, I'm all in!
There's no mid-air game changers.
It's done.
I dealt with fear at the shore,
and I won!
Nothing holds me back now.

God asked me if I’d dive in.
I thought I’d been swimming for so many years
I couldn't possibly be held back by fear,
Yet there it was.
What if I fail?
Could my pride handle the shame?
Maybe not,
but my true self is tenacious,
and hates being motivated by fear.
My true self dives in!
Fear be damned!
I'm all in.

2 areas of bondage I can see clearly in my life.
Both are generational sins
I have been steeped in
since my earliest memories.
Both color my personality
making me attractive to the world.
Both have such a strong hold on me,
only by the power of God
will I ever hope to be set free.

Worse,

no one roots for me to be set free,
except my Savior.
I long for that covering of kindness
Noah's son had,
who walked in backward and covered his father's shame.
I long for the covering of protection
of the lambs blood over the door post
when the angel of death passed by.
The covering God first made tenderly in the garden
to hide Adam and Eve's nakedness.
Oh God, I want to be all in.
No shadow of turning with thee.
You said you would never leave me
or forsake me,
How could I love you with half my heart
and turn to adore sin as well?

Fear comforts me with a different covering.
It says:
“Hide here, 
if you are seen for who you really are, 
they will reject you”.

There it is!
The weapon
that has been used to harm me for years.
Rejection.

When my dad left my family at 10,
I was rejected,
I followed and lived with him for years.
I tried to live with my Mom at 14
but when I felt my fathers pain and wanted to return to him,
my mother left the house and pushed me away (rejection again).
At 16 my dad kicked me out of the house for good.

This weapon
“rejection”
has been sharpened through years of suffering
and used against me at every thought of gaining help for my escape.
The bondage held over my head maybe from a defeated foe
but at the thought of being exposed
and turned away,
I willingly give my freedom back.
Even as I'm invited by the Lord to go all in,
I wonder if the bravery that has served me so well in life,
will fail me now.

Will I take myself out
of all my resolve
and rationalize my sin
and bondage
bow my head and silently
go back to my cell?

And I don't even know the way out.
Only a dim light off in the distance
that bids me to “confess my sin”
that I may be set free.
I confess often enough
but this continues to say “one to another”
so the truth is that:
God never means for us to go at this
“faith thing”
alone.
With mentors who are long sense dead,
being insufficient,
to the disappointment of my pride,
and fear of my flesh.
Oh God help me.
Is there no other way?..

Yes,
of coarse there is another way.
The scars from
years of bondage
have left their mark on my soul.
Yes, I can go at it alone.
Letting few in (to see the core of my pain).
Telling few of my fears,
and not often.

Years pass as my flesh wars against my spirit
both growing,
both using their tools well.

I walk with a limp (my pastor said)
as one marked by pain.

It was the abuse of my past,
the abuse of my present,
the grief for my sin
and the failings of my present.
The sorrow I cause the Lord
the sorrow I see in others
it's all I have been forgiven for
and for all I still do (that needs forgiveness)
it's for all that still wounds me
and all that grieves the heart of God.
I don't wonder why I cry,
I wonder why others don't.
There are tears in His presence.
They repent.
They are right and good for the soul.
One day (I know)
He will wipe away my last tears.
He has seen all the others
and sat near me in my times of sadness.
Just one more reason, I love Him so.
So when I hear:
“Will you dive in?”
How can I say

“No”?

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Freedom

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free". But many of us live in bondage, just praying and wishing to be set free. But the truth is, if nothing changes, nothing changes.

What creative ways can we change our bondage behavior? Let's make a plan. Take a minute and identify the longing in your heart. The ones we meet with counterfeits (or sin). Ask God to show you, what it looks like when this longing, is met by the Holy Spirit (instead). [and try changing your behavior]

It may be harder than it sounds but Phil 2:13 says "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him". So let's pray for the "desire", and "the power" of God to help us.

Feel free to post your thoughts about this here, even if it's not specific to the sin, it will be an encouragement to others. We have a common love and a common struggle.

Friday, July 11, 2014

The sky is the limit

I read an "encouraging" sign in the street yesterday,
it said: "The sky is the limit!". 
I thought, how quaint...
then I smiled deeply 
to know without a doubt 
"The sky is NOT the limit!" 
And I prayed with the faith of a little girl, 
to my All Mighty Father, 
for impossible things, 
that would take all the resources of heaven 
and the power of my All Mighty God to accomplish. 
And I snickered at the thought 
that "the sky is the limit"...
No...
it most certainly is not.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Please also share a praise

A friend challenged me
(well, she challenged many)
to "Please also share a praise"
and I focused my attention on my life.

What could I praise God for?
What has He done,
worthy of praise?

I felt uncomfortable to not have an answer.
Yes, I have health,
a home,
a family,
a loving husband.
Yes, I have work that I love,
enough food to eat,
a heater when I'm cold,
ac, when I'm hot,
but what could I praise God for?

What great things has He done for me lately?
What miracles of His mercy am I not noticing
and thanking Him publicly for?

David once said:
"Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits"
Have I...
forgotten all His benefits?

Have I taken His persevering love
for granted
or His wealth of grace
and His steadfast commitment 
to my good?

Have I become unimpressed
that He would save 
a wretch like me?

Oh, God when you return,
will there be any who seek God?
Any with faith?
Any who give you praise?
Please Lord,
keep me ever focused on You.

Your mercy and grace,
Your undeserved kindness
lavished on me
makes my life uncommonly 
full of peace.

As Your child,
I lack no good thing.
Were I to "forget not your benefits",
I should never be silent (to recount them all),
and when I awake,
You are still with me
(mercy's new and fresh 
and awaiting my notice).

Father forgive me,
for not living the life You have given me
with a song of gratitude
ever on my tongue.

Praise you my Lord,
my Father,
Councilor
and King.