‘We strive to be worthy of their sacrifice,’ ‘Theirs was a love more deep and more pure than most will ever know,’ ‘They marched into hell so that America could know the blessings of peace,’
President Trump
” Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13 Holy Bible ASV
Today, I enjoy much freedom;
Freedom from anxiety, freedom from shame, freedom from guilt, freedom from bullies.
I enjoy that freedom because I made a quality choice to do the really hard inner work.
Importantly I must add – allowing God/Jesus/Holy Spirit to guide me along what has often been a pretty bumpy path.
I am fully confident, that you can follow much the same path to healing.
What is needed is a longing to be better, and a tenacity to stick with it.
Here is a really important point that must be made!
I profess freedom.
I own it.
But I must understand, and remember over and over again that this does not mean that EVERYTHING is perfect.
Actually, far from it.
Life on this planet is predictably unpredictable.
Everyone has trials.
Everyone has issues; physical, mental, and spiritual.
The deal is; how do we handle it?
I am free because I choose to, as the “littles” say “Let it go”.
I give it to God, and leave it there.
Let me be very clear, sometimes I leave it there once a day.
Other times it is every hour.
Scripture tells us in Romans 12, that we are a “Living sacrifice”.
Well, famous author and teacher Chuck Swindoll states that the problem with a “Living sacrifice”, is that they keep getting up and getting off of the alter.
I have to offer myself to God every moment, of every day.
There is FREEDOM in knowing that I have done the work, and that God reminds me all the time, that “He’s got this.”
Being certain of that, removes the weight from my shoulders.
I can walk knowing that whatever is going on, He is by my side, and that He won’t leave.
I have a handful of what I call LIFE VERSES, one for most areas of my life.
Here is one of my favorites;
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 54:17 (ESV)
Note, that it does not say that weapons will not be formed, it says they will not prosper.
Keeping this thought in mind, helps to keep the weight off of my shoulders.
It keeps my eyes looking ahead to just how God will show me what to do next.
Carrying that weight?
It is my choice.
Dropping it away from me is also my choice.
I need to recognize that some days are going to be more difficult than others, but the bad ones do pass.
What frame of mind will I keep until that happens?
And be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13: 5B (ESV)
If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:24-26 (ESV)
There may be one more installment for this Raw and Real series, or there may be a summary.
I’m not sure yet.
But either way, won’t you join me?
Until next time …
So just what exactly does travel have to do with raw and real anyway you might ask.
At first blush, nothing.
I know for me it has something very important to do with my process.
I’ll see if I can explain, and you can see if this fits for you as well.
When I was small, the big event of the week was to go and visit my grandparents’ house, which was out of town.
In adult terms, only fifteen miles or so, but to a child, it was SO far.
Regardless of the distance, traveling down that gravel road approaching their home, was the best feeling of all.
There were cousins to play with, horses to pet, barns to hide in and apple trees to climb.
Do you see what was missing?
You saw correctly if you saw that → There were no bullies.←
For that time, I was free from the daily torment of those bully boys and the mean girls.
With my cousins living across just across the road, it was as close to perfect as could be.
Until it wasn’t.
A misunderstanding between my father, my grandfather, and myself, got me the biggest beating of my life,
and an excommunication from my grandparents’ property.
Later on in years, around the age of receiving a driver’s license, travel was important for about the same reasons.
The bullies, the mean girls, and some others who won’t be mentioned, were left behind while I escaped from them for a little while.
When newly married, and having small children, my husband and I lived in the middle of an average sized mid-western town.
We purchased a camper, and a membership to a campground some forty miles away.
Away we would travel; there was peace and quiet for us all.
During those times, I always believed – in my dreams – that I/we could travel away and all, things would be left behind.
The biggest issue, was always having to return, back to the scene of the crime you might say.
The peace and quiet was physical, but I began to realize that peace was an “Inside job”.
My then, unbeknownst to me, introverted self, began taking a look inside, with the help of a pastor/mentor friend of mine.
He showed me how to read the Word of God, the Holy Bible, and glean out of it the →help I needed for myself.←
My hope is that perhaps this little series might give you some ideas, and bring the same help to you.
We are all different, some of what worked for me may help, or you may need to look at some other ideas.
The above mentioned mentor has through the years, shown me multiple ways, to help with that “Inside job”.
You can read more from him →here if you like.←
Meanwhile, travelling back to the point.
When you’re younger, you travel short distances, or you travel just “In your mind”.
As adults, who want to not only be free, but be useful in the lives of those they love, and in society in general.
We must learn to travel to that inside place.
Psalms 139 calls it “my inward parts”, “in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth”.
What I know to be true, is that if God took that much care in creating us, then He will surely take care to help us with those parts.
He longs for us to be free.
We need only ask.
Nowadays, when I travel, it is because I want to go somewhere.
I want to see something new.
I want to spend some good times with my family and friends.
I don’t travel because I’m trying to get away from bullies.
There is peace within.
Even if I see turmoil in the earth, the peace within me still abides.
How about you?
Where do you want to travel?
Why do you want to travel?
Consider.
Just consider, to find peace within, and peace without.
Join me next time for installment #11 – Relate.
Until next time …
Significant Encounters 
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