More on healing

Ughhh! I've spent all day working on my sermon and I have nothing to show for it. I hate it when prep goes like this. I feel like the more I preach the worse I get, or at least the more uninspired and tedious preparation goes. It is less about a mighty move of the spirit and more about discipline... which is also a spiritual thing.

I want to separate the message into two parts: part one will be called "Uprooting" and part two will be "Planting, growing, and sharing the fruit,". The idea is that our hearts are like gardens (wow, an ongoing theme in my life). Anything growing in the garden of our heart was planted there at some point, whether blown in on the wind or planted by our hand. We can tell weeds because they don't look like something that we want growing in our hearts.

Some plants have insidious roots that wrap around our hearts and squeeze them almost to death.

This is the main part about healing. But healing is also about replacing what is taken out with something else... which leads to the second section...

You know a tree by it's fruit and a garden can't just be weeded. Beauty must be cultivated. We have to plant heavenly kingdom plants and weed and prune.

So there is the idea in a nutshell... now to the writing and service planning, though service planning first.

Unburdening

Wow, I don't blog very often. Ashley told me that I need to. So, here goes. Assuming that no one is reading this I will actually try to blog for myself.

Several months ago I felt that if I get the opportunity to choose a sermon topic I should speak about healing.... Not physical healing but emotional healing... becoming whole. So I am preaching on that next week. As I am preparing I am finding that people are revealing their wounds to me in greater quantities than normal.

Giving the burdens to Christ

Part of my job, a part which I am not qualified for (like many aspects of my job), is to serve as a councilor to people. Parents sit in my office and talk to me about difficulties with their children. Wives talk about struggles with their husbands. Teenagers tell me about their relationships, struggles, and pain.

People are so broken.

What would it be like if we understood ourselves in the light of the reality of God's love for us? What if we understood the purpose of morality? Would we walk in greater freedom?

Would the young woman understand that the abuse she suffered and the rejection isn't going to happen for the rest of her life and would she rest in the confidence that her boyfriend really cares for her? Would she give up the jealousy and rage that has consumed her heart for so long?

Would my friend stop engaging in sexual relationships in order to have a beautiful healthy whole and healing relationship with someone who commits to her?

Would the teenager realize that her behavior has consequences and that she can live in a different way... that life can be good... that people will love her and care for her?

Would the young man's pain from an old custody battle be healed so that he could walk forward and comfort his friend who is being wounded by the custody battle looming over his head?

I so desperately want people to see God's love... I want them to know Him, to be transformed into him image. I want them to be changed, healed. To have joy and excitement at loving and serving God and those around them.

God has done so much healing in me.

Community

I just read through some old entries - over a year ago when I last posted. In the previous entry I talked about learning the importance of relying on community. I even mentioned a future post, so here is the future post.

Why is it difficult for us humans to make our limitations known? Why is it difficult for us to ask for help except when situations are dire?

Lately, situations are dire. My husband is facing major surgery and immobility. What his hip doesn't prevent him from doing his medicine does. He is as sweet and helpful as he can be - but with limited mobility and chronic pain comes limited ability.

There is too much for me to do - my job can be overwhelming all by itself. Creating space and time for rest and peace and living is hard. Add an impending move (just down the stairs but a move none the less), deciding where to get major surgery, how to pay for it, whether or not you can take the time off work to be with husband during said surgery, and how to move forward.

I cannot do this on my own.

Enter community...

I have been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the people in my congregation. Tremendous offers of love and support. My youth group volunteered to help us move. Friends have said, "I will not say 'call if you need anything' instead I will ask, 'What can I do?'" I have prayer warriors battling for my husband and I. I have people offering time and energy to help in any way. I have family doing research and supporting me.

I am not alone. I am in community.

So they learn my limitations. So they see me cry at church. So they hear me wrestle with faith and God and joy and peace. So they learn my weaknesses.

I believe Christ said that the truth will set us free. True community demands that the truth about who we are comes to the surface and the result...

we are set free!