The Holy One calls me this morning. I admit that life with the Holy One can be difficult as surrender does not come easy to the "Scotts-Irish" genealogy. I am a flaming redhead at my roots. While time has turned what can be seen into shades of gray, the hot tempered woman in my heart still throws a blow and speaks angry word at times.
Life with difficult people and outrageous situations that shriek "foul" present a myriad of opportunities to see the Holy One working in my life. In and of myself, I simply cannot forgive what has been done by and through people under the influence of darkness. I confess my weakness and the Holy One forgives me.
It doesn't seem right that I must seek His forgiveness for just reacting to things done to me. But then, the ways of Holiness are not like my ways. I am running through all the excuses I have to hold things against others, but none seem good enough, when in His Presence.
So I began the very familiar task of unloading my backpack before Him. Unforgiveness is a heavy load to carry. It is truly back breaking and weighs me down on my journey with Jesus.
Matt 11:28, "Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." These words of my Savior float through my thinking.
Yes Lord, I am here and I do want to walk out lighter than when I came into Your Presence this morning. I start to unload all the things that my unforgiveness has picked up along the road since yesterday. Some are familiar boulders that I must have overlooked when I last unloaded my satchel.
No wait, they are new offenses by the same people. They look like the others long since forgiven, but these are new to me today.
As I get to what I think is the end and see the backpack no longer bulging with the load, The Holy One speaks, "It's good you have put down those big issues that others have committed against you, but do you see those little rocks in the corner over there? These are the issues of omission. Things you expected that people did not do. You have been wounded by your own expectations when people failed you. You must forgive those things as well."
I know what the Holy One speaks is true. Most of my life is interaction with the Body of Christ, with others who claim Jesus as their Savior. We share life with people we think are on the same page as us. Then one day a crisis occurs where all our expectations of what others can or should do gets dashed.
I confess, I haven't realized that unforgiveness toward those who have failed to act, can be as heavy a burden as unforgiveness toward those who have acted in despitefully wicked ways against me and those I love.
Today is a day to go back through my backpack of burdens to see the smaller things that need to be unloaded and forgiven. Now I know that even the small things can add a lot of weight on the journey.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Life with difficult people and outrageous situations that shriek "foul" present a myriad of opportunities to see the Holy One working in my life. In and of myself, I simply cannot forgive what has been done by and through people under the influence of darkness. I confess my weakness and the Holy One forgives me.
It doesn't seem right that I must seek His forgiveness for just reacting to things done to me. But then, the ways of Holiness are not like my ways. I am running through all the excuses I have to hold things against others, but none seem good enough, when in His Presence.
So I began the very familiar task of unloading my backpack before Him. Unforgiveness is a heavy load to carry. It is truly back breaking and weighs me down on my journey with Jesus.
Matt 11:28, "Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." These words of my Savior float through my thinking.
Yes Lord, I am here and I do want to walk out lighter than when I came into Your Presence this morning. I start to unload all the things that my unforgiveness has picked up along the road since yesterday. Some are familiar boulders that I must have overlooked when I last unloaded my satchel.
No wait, they are new offenses by the same people. They look like the others long since forgiven, but these are new to me today.
As I get to what I think is the end and see the backpack no longer bulging with the load, The Holy One speaks, "It's good you have put down those big issues that others have committed against you, but do you see those little rocks in the corner over there? These are the issues of omission. Things you expected that people did not do. You have been wounded by your own expectations when people failed you. You must forgive those things as well."
I know what the Holy One speaks is true. Most of my life is interaction with the Body of Christ, with others who claim Jesus as their Savior. We share life with people we think are on the same page as us. Then one day a crisis occurs where all our expectations of what others can or should do gets dashed.
I confess, I haven't realized that unforgiveness toward those who have failed to act, can be as heavy a burden as unforgiveness toward those who have acted in despitefully wicked ways against me and those I love.
Today is a day to go back through my backpack of burdens to see the smaller things that need to be unloaded and forgiven. Now I know that even the small things can add a lot of weight on the journey.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
No comments:
Post a Comment