Lessons From a Burnt Pot...

It's been a rough last few weeks in my life.  It's been a season where God is just ripping the band aids off many old wounds.  The one's that we press down further and further for 2 reasons.  We want to believe so badly that we have moved past these events that hurt us or because we fear if we let ourselves go there, we may not come back.  I have cried more in a week than I have in a year. Where you are so emotionally exhausted all that's left is just the raw, true version of your current condition. Yeah it's been a week.

I ended up calling my mom one afternoon and having a conversation with her about what God was doing and what I was dealing with.  She reminded me that I have always known who I was.  Even from a small child I had a strong sense of purpose.  She said she felt that I had forgotten who I was. That I had allowed life to consume me.

See I've had quite a few knocks in life.  Quite a few times where the floor has just been completely swept out from under me.  I used to be one who was so full of life and motivated to achieve whatever I put my mind to.  But I haven't seen that girl in quite some time.  I find myself sometimes looking at myself in the mirror and not recognizing the person staring back.  Before you know it the hole gets deeper and deeper.  It was time for God to rip off the band aids and make me deal with my truth.

I went into my bedroom and just cried out "GOD REMIND ME OF WHO I AM!  I NEED TO SEE MYSELF THROUGH YOUR EYES!  I NEED TO REMEMBER WHO YOU SAY I AM!"

A few days before my husband was cooking and burnt one of our pots.  It was the pot that I make my tea in and I am a major tea drinker.  As it sat soaking for days I decided to look up an online remedy to get my pot back.  I followed everything the blogger said to do and proceeded to scrub.  According to instructions it should only take 30-45 seconds of elbow grease and I was now at least 5 minutes in to my scrubbing.  

Now the battle begins.  I hear the first thought.  "Just quit!  You can buy another pot at the store later. Let it go!"  "But this is my favorite pot, and I want it back."  " Nothing's happening.  It's not working out like they said...Just like your life.  Nothing's happening."  I feel it.  I feel my motivation beginning to wane.  I feel the questions.  I feel the doubts.  I feel me.

BUT I WANT MY POT!!!!  I start scrubbing....harder and harder and harder.  I see silver breaking forth from the bottom and it's getting wider and wider. That's when I hear it.  My Daddy's voice. He says "THAT'S WHO YOU ARE!YOUR MY DAUGHTER WHO DOESN'T QUIT!  YOUR MY DAUGHTER WHO DOESN'T GIVE UP! YOU KEEP GOING! REMEMBER WHAT YOUR FRIENDS USED TO CALL YOU. THEY CALLED YOU THE COME BACK KID, BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT CAME UP AGAINST YOU, YOU KEPT THE SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND YOU KEPT BELIEVING ME!  YOUR MY DAUGHTER!  YOU DON'T QUIT!"

By the time He was done speaking the pot was sparkling like new.

Life is hard.  Life hurts sometimes and it hurts bad.  Sometimes we get lost in the midst of it all.  But I PRAISE GOD!!  Because just like with Peter, He is there to immediately pull us out of the raging sea as soon as we say JESUS!!  JESUS, I NEED YOU!!  I CAN'T DO THIS!!  I DON'T HAVE IT IN ME GOD!!  I NEED YOU TO RESCUE ME!!

There is a beauty in being vulnerable.  There is a beauty in being transparent. There is a beauty in our weakness.  God is not scared of it.  Sometimes we are. So we push it down.  But let God rip off the band aids.  Don't be scared of it. Don't be scared to be real with God.  I don't know how we can think we can be anything else but. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our truth. He knows our current condition.  And He also knows the plans He has for us even in the midst of those conditions.  So trust Him with it.  He can handle it...and you can too.

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22 NLT

Thank You God for the Lesson in a Burnt Pot!!