Free Form Ambulations: Shame, An Easter Basket in September, and a Daily Sing Along With God
God is lavish in communicating with me, I admit. But I also know that I hang onto God's every word, loving every single one, always eager for more. There was a time when I felt like that was exhibiting ingratitude and discontent. Shouldn't a word here or there be enough, Lisa? And there you go, wanting more and more and more.
Isn't is something how we can make anything, no matter how wonderful, a chance to experience guilt and shame ourselves? Of course, if we didn't want it, we'd find a way to make that bad, too. I've pretty much had it with living a guilt-filled life in the Spirit because no matter what others say about healthy shame, I've never found shame to be healthy. There's the feeling that you might have done something that wasn't exactly the best way of going about it: you hurt yourself, you hurt others. Apologize to whomever deserves one, decide to go about it differently next time, ask God for help, and then move on! Shame hides in corners and grows like mold until it's so hard to do anything about, you might feel like demolishing the entire house. Shame loves to keep us in that corner so it can punish us, we can punish ourselves, and we never have to put ourselves out there and really live. Because really living means we might get hurt. Well, better off with a wound that can heal than sitting in mold, is all I can say. Get out of the mold! You can do it!
Anyway, just so you know, this is one of my free-form, off the cuff kind of blog entries. I'll ramble, sure. But there's no shame in that, is there?
In my times with God lately, I've been receiving word that God is in the business of giving good gifts to those who ask, and I've been asking. God's been showering me with affection in the folds of my heart and in relationships with others, but the message has been clear. Look for me, look for my gifts to you.
I've had a problem with receiving for years. I always want to be the giver, and God has been telling me that there is a circle to these things and those who only give find themselves depleted after a while. Thankfully, I'm not only receiving more, I'm recognizing the gifts I've been being given for a long time now. But I've still got lessons to learn here. (A post is coming on the toxic conundrum of Rescuing to be Rescued.)
The other day, after a sweet time with God, getting once again the message to receive his goodness, I opened the front door to take Zeus out to do his business and right there in front of me was an Easter basket containing a bag of gift bags. Get ready, I heard. I mean, seriously? Who makes this stuff up? The neighbors we are close to didn't do it. I have no idea who physically committed the act of Gift Receiving Device Delivery, but I know Who was behind it. I love that it was an Easter basket, too. New life. Resurrection. Growth. Transformation. I'll have some of all of that, Lord. I really will.
The point to this little ambulation is this. God speaks to us in so many ways. That still small voice. The perfect message from others at just the right time. A song on the radio. People and situations entering and leaving. And physical occurrences like Easter baskets and gifts bags showing up on your doorstep willy-nilly.
Here's the takeaway. God doesn't strongarm His way into your life. But if you open yourself, free yourself and God to communicate on a strange, wonderful, and sometimes lavish level, you will receive messages you almost won't believe. Trust your relationship with God enough to know you are hearing correctly. God always speaks with love and the desire for your joy and completion, underpinning your worth as His Creation, His child, and always with reassurance that He is with you always.
Communicate with God on every level you can. He will show up if you allow His voice to reveal His love for you and all His children, all His creation, in an infinite number of ways. Don't put conditions on it, don't tell God how He can and cannot do this if you want full-out communication, because He will respect your boundaries. Every single time. I have found the times I live in complete allowance of God to speak, to act, to do, have been the most amazing times of my life. Let God sing at full volume, and join in the song.
Isn't is something how we can make anything, no matter how wonderful, a chance to experience guilt and shame ourselves? Of course, if we didn't want it, we'd find a way to make that bad, too. I've pretty much had it with living a guilt-filled life in the Spirit because no matter what others say about healthy shame, I've never found shame to be healthy. There's the feeling that you might have done something that wasn't exactly the best way of going about it: you hurt yourself, you hurt others. Apologize to whomever deserves one, decide to go about it differently next time, ask God for help, and then move on! Shame hides in corners and grows like mold until it's so hard to do anything about, you might feel like demolishing the entire house. Shame loves to keep us in that corner so it can punish us, we can punish ourselves, and we never have to put ourselves out there and really live. Because really living means we might get hurt. Well, better off with a wound that can heal than sitting in mold, is all I can say. Get out of the mold! You can do it!
Anyway, just so you know, this is one of my free-form, off the cuff kind of blog entries. I'll ramble, sure. But there's no shame in that, is there?
In my times with God lately, I've been receiving word that God is in the business of giving good gifts to those who ask, and I've been asking. God's been showering me with affection in the folds of my heart and in relationships with others, but the message has been clear. Look for me, look for my gifts to you.
I've had a problem with receiving for years. I always want to be the giver, and God has been telling me that there is a circle to these things and those who only give find themselves depleted after a while. Thankfully, I'm not only receiving more, I'm recognizing the gifts I've been being given for a long time now. But I've still got lessons to learn here. (A post is coming on the toxic conundrum of Rescuing to be Rescued.)
The other day, after a sweet time with God, getting once again the message to receive his goodness, I opened the front door to take Zeus out to do his business and right there in front of me was an Easter basket containing a bag of gift bags. Get ready, I heard. I mean, seriously? Who makes this stuff up? The neighbors we are close to didn't do it. I have no idea who physically committed the act of Gift Receiving Device Delivery, but I know Who was behind it. I love that it was an Easter basket, too. New life. Resurrection. Growth. Transformation. I'll have some of all of that, Lord. I really will.
The point to this little ambulation is this. God speaks to us in so many ways. That still small voice. The perfect message from others at just the right time. A song on the radio. People and situations entering and leaving. And physical occurrences like Easter baskets and gifts bags showing up on your doorstep willy-nilly.
Here's the takeaway. God doesn't strongarm His way into your life. But if you open yourself, free yourself and God to communicate on a strange, wonderful, and sometimes lavish level, you will receive messages you almost won't believe. Trust your relationship with God enough to know you are hearing correctly. God always speaks with love and the desire for your joy and completion, underpinning your worth as His Creation, His child, and always with reassurance that He is with you always.
Communicate with God on every level you can. He will show up if you allow His voice to reveal His love for you and all His children, all His creation, in an infinite number of ways. Don't put conditions on it, don't tell God how He can and cannot do this if you want full-out communication, because He will respect your boundaries. Every single time. I have found the times I live in complete allowance of God to speak, to act, to do, have been the most amazing times of my life. Let God sing at full volume, and join in the song.
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