The Gradual Process of Freedom & Healing
Friends, I wanted to share this little revelation I got with you. A couple things happened this week. March ended and April began. Our weeping cherry tree came into an impressive full bloom and my heart is jumping with joy for Spring, so ready to move forward! But, last night we got a thorough covering of snow and a good 25 degree freeze! Everything was covered this morning. It was beautiful, but unexpected; a little jolt to the spring-longing heart.
The snowstorm that came after all of these blooms came out.
About a month ago or so, I realized that I had stopped wearing my "thick" winter coat. You know, that puff "down" one with all the feathers, that goes down past your bum, because that's the difference between enjoying winter and freezing your tail off in the north. And this correlation occurred to me between this transition from winter to spring and healing in our hearts.
The weather is quite unpredictable in Ohio, and most places really. It's one the things we can't control. So when you stop wearing your winter coat, you don't plan ahead for it, you just, all of a sudden, realize one day that you stopped wearing it. You didn't have time to clean out your pockets or store it away, you just realize that you stopped grabbing for it and it's been a few weeks. Transition happened. But it was so gradual you didn't notice.
This is so similar to how healing happens in our hearts! This is how it happened for me. I remember struggling through fear in my young twenties, it was something I recognized and decided to intentionally take ahold of with the help of the Lord and seek freedom from. It was soo hard. Any mindset, tragedy or habit that you are trying to work through is tough business friends, and if you are doing it, I know you know what I mean. There were times that I wanted to lay down and sleep my feelings off instead of facing them, ignore them and go on living in their bondage instead of working through them. With the grace of God though I changed who I was.
I remember during this period of a few years, I would say that I struggle with fear but I am working on it. I was still wearing the coat and it was still apart of who I was. I was working on it, and continually working on it, and that was the status. Then finally, one day I looked at myself, and realized that that was no long who I was anymore. I was not a fearful person, clearly. The winter had passed, I stopped grabbing for my winter coat and I didn't really realize it. THAT was HUGE for me! Recognizing that something you struggle with is no longer apart of who you are is amazing. Change is amazing, and it's possible!
I want to encourage you that if you are struggling through something, fighting hard to change, or just waiting for a trying season to pass, there is hope! Keep at it friend, the process is oh-so-gradual, but I assure you it is happening and one day you will look back and realize that it is over. Yes, you may get a random winter storm here and there in your transition period, and have to grab that coat again, but don't worry, you can know that it no longer fits you, and spring is here to stay!
A friend of mine, posted this revelation that he got today on Facebook and I thought it was so fitting. Referring to Jesus and his disciples crossing the lake in the storm, he felt the Lord tell him, "You are going to the other side!"
“Jesus Calms the Storm
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.””
Isn't that powerful! Don't lose faith. You are going to the other side.
