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Muddy Mess
These three. Like a bunch of pigs just rolling around in the mud! So many giggles. So much mud! Now, you may look at this picture and laugh. Possibly even wonder why I wasn’t joining in the fun! But there’s more to the story than meets the eye! And here is why.
I battle anxiety.
Just months ago this very scenario would have me biting my tongue, counting out my breathing and potentially leading to an ugly, overly dramatic response.
Because sadly, most days, even the littlest of things could set me off or throw me into a panic attack. And this hasn’t always been so. The past year and a half have been a whirlwind of health question marks and challenges.
When I first started grappling with these new struggles, I avoided the very thought that I have a problem. I didn’t want anyone to know that I was overly anxious. Or that I encountered countless bouts of depression. The stigma of these struggles consumed me. My mind. My energy. My time. And it began to take its toll on my body.
For years, I was able to mask pain, hide problems and disguise the hardest areas I’ve ever faced. But it began to catch up with me. The mud I was clearly wrestling in began to grow sticky and harder to wriggle out of.
Friends – if you’re elbow deep in mud and feel hopeless, take heart!
We’ve been given a rescue plan! A plan carried out to absolute perfection! The dirtiest, hardest part has already been finished.
Jesus came for you! He came for me! And He didn’t just come to reach down and pull us out of the mud. No, it was so much more! And no matter the stain or stench, no matter the shame or doubt, He came to pick you up, clean you off and make you white as snow! (Isaiah 1:18b)
My prayer today is that if you find yourself stuck in the mud, making more of a mess, stop squirming! Allow a proper rescue! Let your former self stay right there in the mud. And with the biggest grin, seeing the joy through it all, emerging, clean and new!
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”
– Isaiah 43:18-19a
*CHALLENGE: When we find ourselves in a muddy mess, we have two choices.
1) Stay Stuck! This option leaves us consumed by darkness that surrounds and holds us there. It not only dwindles hope but instills a bitterness and hostility that festers and grows.
OR
2) Break Free! Yes it may not be an easy task. You may find yourself gritting your teeth, trudging through some deep, sticky situations, but guess what? James told us this would happen (James 1:2) and that we should consider it pure joy!
So sweet friend, what will it be?
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
– Ephesians 4:22-24
Heavenly Father, You warned us time and time again of what this imperfect world would look like. What we may experience. But You also gave us victory through it all! You’ve given us a rescue plan! May we experience our rescue story today! And become unstuck in the mud and be set free! Most importantly, through it all, may we consider it pure joy, Lord! Give us smiles, a peaceful heart and a joyous spirit knowing that You are doing a new thing in and through us! Thank you, Father! We love You! Amen.
COMING SOON: Thorns
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh…” (2 Corinthians 12:7b)
Do you have a thorn in your flesh consuming and distracting from where God has you? Be sure to check out my upcoming blog, Thorns and discover the strength given to us in our very weaknesses.
