Shame and despair covered my past. God, Where do I begin? Church? Bible? Prayer? God pressed me, Denise, what does it mean to call yourself a daughter of God? Where do I begin to unravel my life and allow God to weave the pieces together? He was about to take me on a journey to heal both mentally and spiritually. But where did He want me to begin?
Did He want me to start by ridding myself of Margarita buddies, my language, inappropriate sign language, or one of the many other areas of my current life? Overwhelmed with the possibilities, I read my bible and prayed. I cried out to God to sort through the clutter.
In Proverb 6:16,17 (ESV) King Solomon writes, there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him. Among the seven is a lying tongue.
As I read the list of abominations, the Holy Spirit guided my eyes to the word, lying. Wait a minute, I argued aloud. I am not a liar. You can ask anyone who knows me, I do not lie. To prove Him wrong, and me right, I went to the dictionary. My fingers followed the printed words, lying: any attempt to deceive. Yikes, I was a liar. I gave false reasons for not doing something, pretended not to be home to avoid certain people, and happily told friends the latest outfit or haircut was perfect. Good grief. Liar.
Three years later, I had virtually eradicated any version of lying from my life. God taught me to speak truth in love. And along the way, with me hardly noticing, He gently corrected other parts of me.
Sometimes a path is clear. It aligns with God’s heart. And yet, it is not His plan. There is value in a willingness to detour from what might seem the path ahead. Make sure God is driving the cart. Allow Him to clear the chaos one piece at a time. He will exchange your rubbish for His gold.
Father, what a marvelous God. Your patience teaches us patience. As we sit in the mud puddles of life, Your love sends messages of worth. When we take a step in obedience, You bless us. Help us to stay on the path You choose. May we grow in our trust in Your plan for our lives.
In Jesus name, Amen
