Tag Archive | truth

The Importance of Story Part Two

Oct21


Your story should have been better.  Not a nightmarish fantasy.  Your story should have given you a better sense of yourself. 

Your true self.  Created by a God who loves you.  Created for a specific purpose.

Remember Sam’s words~

“And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.”

To be sure, things cannot go back to the way they were, back before the trouble.  Time has gone on too for that.  That would be fantasy.

But here’s what I know for sure.

If we must ask “Why?”, then this is the answer.

Genisis 50:20 (NASB)  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

Psalm 30:11 (NLT)  You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

We should however, stop asking the “Why?” question, and begin to ask a few different questions so that healing can begin.

These new questions that can be answered right here where we live;

1. What does this mean?

2. What do I need to do now?

3. What can I learn from this?

How do I know this works for sure?

I apply these questions to every circumstance that would have my story go dark again.

The sting of rejection.

The suspicion of those who promise to help me, then don’t.

The abandonment I feel when I don’t receive the love and care I desire from the people I love.

The shame I feel when someone’s sarcastic remarks, or proclamations make me feel small.

The anxiety I feel when situations leave myself or my loved ones in a vulnerable spot.

 The answers to these three questions are always the same.

This means that; Old habits die hard. Old scars can still cause pain. Wounds not properly addressed, come back again and again, full of infection.

What I need to do now is; Get quiet.  Forgive the transgressor. Repent, if I had a part in it. Forgive Myself.  Ask God to use His healing word to repair the wound.  Since I don’t live in the Lord of the Rings fantasy world, I need to read the truth. The truth of God is the only True Healer. I can find that in my Bible.

What I can learn from this; I can learn the truth about just how much God loves me.  I can learn His true feelings towards me.  I can learn to recognize the attack as quickly as it occurs.  After I have found these truths, I can use them as a tool to rewrite the story from the enemy of my soul.

Here are some scriptures to help you begin your process.

Rejection: 1 Peter 2:4 (NLT) [ Living Stones for God’s House ] You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

Mistrust: Isaiah 45:19 (NLT)  I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I (God) would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.

Abandonment:   Nehemiah 9:19 (CEV)  Because of your great mercy, you never abandoned them in the desert. And you always guided them with a cloud by day and a fire at night.

Shame: Psalm 25:2 King James Version (KJV) O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Anxiety:  Psalm 139:23  (NASB)  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts.

 This is what we’re holding on to!!

There is only one caveat to gaining this help.

His eternal help is available only to those who trust in Him.

                Psalm 37:28 (NLT) For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. 

He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.

If you have not trusted Him with your heart yet, please visit the “Rescue” page of this blog by clicking the tab at the top.

The worlds help, is a fix that does not have eternal effects.

Gods help, is a fix that lasts for eternity.

What are you holding on to?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Story Part One

Oct19

It’s so important to tell stories. 

It’s in the telling of the stories that we find out who we are.

It’s in the telling of the story that we find out who we can be.

Out of all the great conversations in the Lord of the Rings, one stands out strongly in my mind. 

It is the kind of conversation one has with their nearest friend and confident. 

This conversation happens to be about story.

Let me set the scene for you.

Frodo is well into the process of taking the One ring to destroy it in the fires of Mordor.

Frodo knows the truth of what must be done, while he also knows that he is exhausted.

Frodo would much rather quit, go back home to the Shire, and have everything be the same was it was.

Sam’s words of story encourage him on to finish his task.

Here is that conversation;

Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.

Your own story may be similar.

Of course you don’t have a powerful ring to destroy in the fires of Mordor.  That’s pure fantasy.

What you may have, probably have, is a story where insecurities and uncertainties surround you. 

Perhaps in your childhood, you never really “fit in”, so you felt the sting of rejection.  Maybe you still do.

Perhaps people made promises that they never kept, so you felt suspicion when anyone promised you anything.  Maybe even now you can’t seem to trust anyone.

Perhaps you didn’t receive the love and care that you so desperately needed.  Your heart continues in the pain of abandonment.

Perhaps people in your past told you things about yourself.  That you were stupid, or lazy, or foolish, or any number of cruel things, and you believed them.  Your perception of yourself is still that way.

Perhaps the people in your life, who were supposed to protect you, didn’t.  Maybe they were the ones who hurt you the most.  The stab of betrayal may still be alive and well in your heart.

If any of these story lines belong to you, please let me say I am so sorry.

Your story should have been better.  Not a nightmarish fantasy.  Your story should have given you a better sense of yourself.  Your true self.  Created by a God who loves you.  Created for a specific purpose.

Remember Sam’s words~

“And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.”

To be sure, things cannot go back to the way they were, back before the trouble.  Time has gone on too for that.  That would be fantasy.

But here’s what I know for sure.

Just Show Up

Oct17

A while back, one of our pastors told us that if we did not have a time and a place to meet God, the chances of actually doing it were slim.

I had to agree with him wholeheartedly.

I had established a time and a place,

and meeting God there was on some days the only place I wanted to be.

This intentionality caused my heart to yearn for Him even more.

The more I knew Him, the more I wanted to know Him.

This is still true today.

In fact, many of my Significant Encounters happen in this very place..

What I’ve learned is that when I put myself into the position to find Him,

suddenly, I see Him.                       

Not with my eyes, but with the peace of Him that settles in my heart.

Whatever might happen the rest of the day,

is not as likely to ruffle me as much as if I haven’t spoken to God first.

Note, I said spoken to God?

Well, know that some days I say not one word.

Some days I read my Bible.

Most days I write in my journal.

Somedays I read an inspirational or instructional book.

I even have a little devotional that I like to peruse.

Whatever I sense that is right for the day.

Sometimes it’s an hour or more.

Some days it’s ten minutes.

Long ago, Tommy Barnett taught us that you should “Read until you burn”.

What he meant was simply to stay in that place until you sense His burning in your heart.

In my case, I sense His pleasure with our time together.

There are no set of defined rules.

If there were, these times would grow flat and boring very quickly.

But a time and a place?

Any time best for you.

Any place you can be undisturbed.

What a difference this makes.

Psalm 27:8 (NASB)

When You said, “ Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD,

I shall I seek”.

Then really, all you have to do is show up!

Do you have a time and a place?

Care to share?