Time to Let It All Out

Many moons ago, I went to the doctor with a boyfriend. He invited me into the examination room where the doctor began asking him about his medical history.

"So, I smoke about a pack a day," my friend disclosed. Ok, I thought, that makes sense. You are going to have some obvious signs of cigarette smoking and there could be risks to your health. Your doctor should definitely know that.

"And I smoke weed every day." Wait, I thought, weed's illegal! Do you really want to mention that? Does he have to know that?

"And I do coke on the weekends --well, sometimes through the week." WHOA!! Dude, stop! I mean, never mind the weed, coke is really illegal! Not a good idea.

Full disclosure, the list went on, and though I wasn't exactly innocent, I was stunned anyone would say those things out loud. To a guy in slacks and a tie. In a professional office building. Those things were done in the dark, behind closed doors. They were meant to be kept secret! But my friend wanted to be healed. I don't mean he wanted to give those things up, necessarily; but in order to diagnose the issue, in order to write a script or recommend a course of treatment, the doctor required transparency, and this patient was willing to give it. 

Have you ever thought you were hiding something from God? Stop and think about that for a moment. Think of all the things you and God have talked about. Please heal my mom. Please make me more like Jesus. Thank You for handling that situation with a coworker. But have you ever, intentionally gotten down to the nitty-gritty? Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to reveal things you've been living with so long you don't even notice their impact on your life? Have you ever turned off your phone, shut the door and prayed through the moments of your past life? Have you talked to God about the time you cheated on your spouse or your taxes? Have you talked about the time you switched price tags at Home Depot? Have you talked about all those dirty little habits you think no one knows anything about? Have you talked about your lust? your selfishness? your agoraphobia? your nail-biting? To be healed, to be transformed, we need to be fully transparent with our Physician. Those things we think we are keeping from Him we are not. Through confession, the bearing of our hearts, giving them to Him in full we take our first steps toward healing; we demonstrate our willingness to trust. 

And there is immediate benefit! The lightening of our load. By speaking "hidden" truths to a mighty, omnipotent Savior, we cast our cares on the One who cares for us. We bring the past into the present to be dealt with right there; our maladies are no longer waiting to sneak up on us from behind, but are right before our eyes, ready to be faced down and destroyed like Goliath before a young but faith-filled David. We bring shame, the parasitic ravager of souls into the light and breath of the Spirit, staving its growth as air and light halt assailing bacteria. We bring our accounts current, leaving no area of our history concealed, unspoken, or unaddressed, so that we may participate in the new life purchased for us through Jesus Christ.   

I don't know whether my old boyfriend had known this doctor for so long, he trusted him implicitly, or whether he had great confidence in medicine and its practitioners. Maybe he was just that desperate for healing. Whatever the reason, this man was willing to be completely open and honest --divulging even some of the worst things he had done --in hopes some aspect of his life would change. If transparency entrusted to another fallible human being can lead to healing in the body, imagine what the Great Physician, the Creator of every human being --body, mind, and spirit --can do with your honesty. Do you know Him so well you can trust Him? Do you believe in the existence and redemption of Someone greater than this world? Are you that sick and tired of being sick and tired? Speak the truth honestly, openly. Confess your sins and your failures to the Lord. There is nothing He doesn't already know and nothing He can't carry. When you withhold nothing from God, He will not withhold His good work from you. 

         

Midweek: Why I Don't

I don't say "thank you" when you hold the door because sometimes my thoughts are far away.

I don't vote the way you do because my life experiences are different than yours and so are my values.

I don't view the use of alcohol the same way you do because my relationship with the Lord is not your relationship with the Lord.

I don't view vaccinating my children the same way you do because I am trying to be the best parent I can be, and the research I have done leads me to believe as I do.

I don't live the way you do because the way I live is what I believe is best for my family and me.

I don't volunteer as much as you do because I have as much as I can handle on my plate right now.

I don't clean my house as well as you clean yours because we all prioritize differently.

I don't permit my child to do things you may permit because neither one of us is a perfect parent.

I don't work or worship or shop or travel or serve or indulge or speak the way you do because we are not the same. We face or fear our Creator in different ways but not by different standards. Let us all be mindful of our differences and be kind in spite of them. Let us all be willing to listen to the hearts of others and compassionate enough to speak the truth. Let us love one another as Jesus Christ has loved us.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

~ John 13:34, 35

Heart Renovations

As I write, Luci is curled on her bed nearby, snoring and catching up on much needed sleep. The washer and dryer are humming along in the next room. I have the luxury of lighting a candle and spending some quiet moments with Jesus, doing one of the things I love most: writing about Him. A day ago, my office was off limits, laundry was piling up, and Luci was nervously chasing after a bevy of excited children. One of our daughters and her children were here for the weekend. An unexpected and absolutely delightful visit! But our home, as great as the square footage may be, does not perfectly meet the needs of a large group of active, age-diverse children and adults. It's been a bit chaotic and cramped --not how Scott and I have always perceived our home. In moments of loss, our house has appeared mockingly large. In seasons of quiet, it has seemed grave-like. When we were caring for my delicate mother, I detected hazards everywhere --some were revealed unexpectedly! And when our young man joined us, I was struck by our home's formality and propriety. Great for adults, but is this welcoming to a child? Does his room meet 3rd grader criteria? Is it functional and fun? Will he feel at home? Fast forward to today. This is our home. This is his home. And, while he sometimes says he too wishes we had a bigger house, our son feels at home here. Did we do a huge renovation? Comfier furniture, some brighter colors or updated technology? Nope. We are learning that "home" has so much more to do with the overflow of our hearts. By allowing the Holy Spirit to transform them, make them softer and safer, we are building a home for a child who, less than two years ago, was a stranger. 

If I'm being totally transparent, when our young man first joined us, I was tense when he was out of my sight. As much as I wanted to treat him like family, he was still a boy I did not know milling about our home. What's he doing? Why is he doing that? Who said he could use this? This was our home. These were our things. He had not yet become part of ours. But exploring our home, exploring our lives, and even, testing our boundaries (and our meddle) was the way to him becoming part of ours. If our home seemed formal and proper (maybe more like rigid and detached --transparency, right?) it might benefit all parties to look at our hearts. We invited this child into our lives. We promised him the belonging he needed. The burden of relationship was on us. And our reaction as he began making himself at home exposed the areas we had not yet relinquished. Until we renovated our hearts to be grace-filled, safe places for him to know and be known, our home would not be suitable, regardless the size or decor.   

This is the grace behind God-designed, God-implemented, and God-maintained adoption. He desires us to be joined to Him, not simply as lackies or personal valets; not even exclusively as missionaries and ambassadors of His goodness. God sent His only begotten Son that we should be forgiven, receiving eternal life, and being joined with Him, sons and daughters of the Most High God. He places the burden of relationship on Himself, making a way, calling us, drawing us to Himself with His kindness, and purposefully milling about the moments of our lives. He reveals Himself to us through Scriptures and the revelation of the Word Incarnate, His Son Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life. He wants to be intimately acquainted with us and our things: our desires, our fears, our failures. He wants to "make Himself at home" in our lives. He awaits our honesty. His Spirit works in us to break down walls that we might know the joy and prosperity of being intimate with Him. He begins touching those things we have convinced ourselves do not belong to anyone but us. What are You doing? Why are You doing that? Who said You could use this? He is moving and touching our schedules, our priorities, our desires so that we might see where we need to do some renovations, where the home of our hearts is unwelcoming and inimical to relationship. He has created a grace-filled, safe place --His presence --where we can reveal ourselves to Him, be transparent. He allows us to know Him and longs for us to be known by Him, making our hearts inhabited by His Spirit a welcoming home.