"STUFF"ed Trunk...

In my bedroom closet is a large antique trunk. Originally my great grandmother's hope chest, it once contained her wedding gown and things for the new home that would be established when she married my great grandfather. Eventually, it was passed down to my mother, who used it to store my baby clothes and blankets, and then to me. As a teenager, I kept it in a prominent place in my bedroom and later as a married woman I hauled it from place to place as we changed locations. The last time it was moved, in 2006, we purchased new bedroom furniture. Sleek and modern, the new furniture really didn't go well with the antique trunk so the trunk ended up inside the walk-in closet where it now resides. Moving it was never an easy task. It is very heavy and doesn't have wheels so it must be carried from place to place by two people or placed on a dolly. The lid can no longer be fastened since the metal clasps are warped and its key has long since disappeared. In order to move it, you must hold the lid closed to keep the items stored in it from falling out.

The same may be said for our baggage. You know...that "STUFF" we all carry around with us...shards of painful memories, dusty remains of leftover anger and resentment, fragments of past hurts, handfuls of bad habits, pieces of broken relationships. Like an antique, our baggage is often passed down from generation to generation in the form of verbal, physical, and/or sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, and painful family secrets. It's old and difficult to carry, but we struggle to carry it anyway. We keep it hidden. After all what would people think? We stuff it in the closets of our hearts and cover it with false pretenses of happiness. We try to forget it's even there. Some of us abuse alcohol, drugs, or food. Some of us abuse relationships. Some of us lash out. Some of us withdraw. Still we cannot forget and sometimes, even when given the chance to get rid of it, we cannot let go. It has become a comfortable part of our uncomfortable existence. We don't have any idea what life would be like without it because it's always been there. So we live with the pain and without the concept of true freedom. Yet Jesus said that He came so that we might "have life to the full." John 10:10 Somehow, I just don't see how we can live life to the full while attached to our baggage.

So what do we do?

• Confess to God. He already knows, but you are taking responsibility for your actions. THIS is where you find FORGIVENESS. But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away. 1 John 1:9

• Confess to someone you trust. THIS is where you find HEALING and TRUE FREEDOM. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16

I know what you're thinking..."I can't tell anyone else about my STUFF!!!" That's what I thought too before I did it. Hiding your "stuff" leads to destruction. Sharing the secret removes its power over you. So find someone you trust that will keep your confidence and not stand in judgement of you. Confess your "stuff" and pray through it with them. You'll be SO glad you did!

For more information go to http://www.celebraterecovery.com/

Cart Full of Fear...

Last week, my mom and I went together to purchase groceries at a local shopping center. As we crossed the parking lot toward our car, our shopping cart full, I heard the unmistakable sound of shopping cart wheels on pavement just over my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a man with a shopping cart bearing down on us nearly at our heels. I thought we were about to be accosted in a public parking lot so I began to push our cart faster rushing toward the safety of our car. The man sped up too. My heart in my throat, I raced faster and faster until I was nearly running and my mom could barely keep up. Still he kept coming. Just as we reached our car he stopped behind us and said, "Ma'am, here are the rest of your groceries." I turned to find that our "assailant" was actually an employee of the store and was following us with the remainder of our purchases that the cashier had placed in a separate shopping cart. We sheepishly thanked him and then collapsed in a fit of giggles as he returned to the store.

Our "close call" got me thinking. How often do we act based on fear? How often do we let the "what ifs" of life control our decisions?

What if I lose my job?
What if my spouse cheats on me?
What if something bad happens to those I love?
What if no one likes me?
What if I fail?
What if I get sick?
What if people laugh at me?
What if? What if? What if?


What if can become an endless cycle of worry and fear. It is no mistake that the Bible says, "Fear not..." 365 times. That's one for every day of the year. Jesus knows how prone we are to fear, but He assures us that we have no reason to become worried wonderers! We don't have to WORRY because He HOLDS our future. We don't have to WONDER because He KNOWS. Will bad things still happen? Yes, but He is in control. He doesn't promise us a problem free life, but He DOES promise to be there, to hold us up, and to use everything we encounter for His good purpose.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

So don't RUN in fear. LOOK to Jesus. After all, not every shopping cart is a prelude to disaster. :)

Life After The Pit...

ON JANUARY 1, 2012, I WOKE UP...

For 5 years following the death of my husband I had been on cruise control. Breathing without living. Seeing without vision. Hearing without listening. Tasting without savoring. Touching without feeling. Waiting without anticipation. I had been mired in the depths of grief and depression so long that I didn't even know what I had been missing. Five years of slowly drowning in despair... 

THEN...

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps. Psalm 40:1-2

Did I learn anything from that period of time spent within the clutches of my own despair? Yes. Did I grow closer to my Heavenly Father? Yes. Did my faith and trust increase? Yes. Am I a better person than I would have been otherwise? Most likely. 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3

NOW...

I am ALIVE! God has given me new purpose. Beauty for ashes. Joy for mourning. Praise for despair. I want to grab life by the hand, pull it close, feel its energy wash over me taking me places I've never been...tasting, touching, and seeing the things which make up my dreams. I want to wrap my arms around it tighter and tighter until my arms ache...until I have squeezed out every drop of experience it has to offer.

SO... if you look around and find yourself in a pit don't despair and most of all don't give up. Learn what you can. Lean on your Heavenly Father. Trust. And then hang on! There IS life after the pit.