Worthy of the Journey

Sometimes, I tire of all this deep thinking and effort to find meaning and purpose on this journey from the ashes of the past and the pain.

It can be daunting work to find healing, and, to be honest, it can be way easier and fun to do my denial dance to that Top 40 Hit "I'm Fine, I'm Fine" and go back to my old numbing habits.

What's that old saying? It is insanity to think that you will get different results by doing the same thing you've always done.

Yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right, I know...

Been there, done that. Over and over and over and over...

On our journey together, we are trying something different.

We are digging into the dark, secret, hidden crevices of our pain, shining the spotlight of God's love on them, and cleaning things out for good.

Unfortunately, there are some pitfalls that come with this work.

Think of our minds like a big antique (at least in my case) three-story house with creaking floors and rooms no one has been in for years.

What will you find when you shine light into a dark corner of an old, uninhabited room of one of these places?

Dust, dirt, cobwebs, and, God forbid, maybe a couple of creepy crawlies.

That's what the dark crevices within our minds are like.

We hadn't been in those places in a long time. We shut the door and tried to forget what was in there—a bunch of dark, musty, mucky junk.

But we are ready to clean that junk out.

It is time to get our cleaning tools and get to work: honesty, love, forgiveness, and mercy.

Really get in there and make sure you get all that gunk out.

I know it's scary and smelly, but you must reach back in there, sometimes not knowing what you will find.

I know it hurts to crawl into those spaces. I know you want to shut the door and forget them.

But, deep down, you know you can't.

Who wants to live in a house with nasty rooms with all that dust, dirt, grime, and buggies hiding all up in there?

Ewe.

You deserve better than that.

You are worthy of making the journey within to shine light into the darkest parts of yourself.

Pull back the curtains, open the windows, and let some air in.

Ahh, that's better.

Look at how cute this space is now!

I can see a lot of potential here!

Keep shining God's light in those dark corners, my friend.

You are worthy of the journey towards living a bright, shiny, and beautiful life!

Psalm 51: 1-2

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Isaiah 43: 18-19

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Luke 11: 33-36

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.

See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.