“You are not hidden. There’s never been a moment you were forgotten. You are not hopeless, though you have been broken, your innocence stolen. I hear you whisper underneath your breath.
“I will send out an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night, it’s true. I will rescue you.”
We’ve dragged ourselves out of bed early to meet together as we do each week. This time, I won’t run away. I won’t shut down. I’m not sure what happened last week.
Sometimes it feels as though no one wants to speak. I wonder whether it’s pride or shame or just awkwardness. For me, it can be a combination of all three. But this morning we are sharing slowly yet openly. Fatigue, discouragement, disappointment, suffering, intimidation, and fear reside in our words, yet we share them and they become less cavernous, less consuming.
This question guts me. It makes me say the f word in my head and shake from desperately holding back tears. I need to answer it for myself because I know where I think He is during my suffering. Not here.
But then came the resurrection. So it would be wrong of me, even evil, to say the same about Him during the crucifixion.
I have lost the experience of your presence. I can no longer see your face. Truths that were once sweet do not comfort me. Pour out your soul, analyze your hopes, remember the lovingkindness of God, and preach to your heart.
Is this a desert of my own making? I know what to do yet I don’t do it.
My brother has come back from India a changed man. He is alive. This card reduced me to tears and humble gratefulness.
Chels, How much I love you is hard to describe as the significant impacts you have had on my life have not been few in number. When I was young you were kind to me and attempted to understand when no one else would...
Remember when I said that I’m fighting you? Well the truth is, I’m not and it feels to us both like you are winning. Sometimes I’m willing to concede to the idea because it’s easier and doesn’t require me to change my worst patterns—an impossible task. But...
I see you. You lie to me so often, I hardly notice. You tell me he doesn’t love me. You tell me we won’t change. You tell me hope is lost, fear is fine and comfort cannot be found. While I easily and quickly believe you, you’ve been noticed. I see you and I’m fighting you.
Pride = Death. Pride being self-righteousness, self-centeredness and self-preservation which leads to a kind of living death that manifests as hatred, depression and self-loathing.
The young girl showed up in front of me quite unexpectedly this morning. She exclaimed my name with such joy and gave me a hug. Next she kissed me on the forehead. It was sweet and uncharacteristic. It had been a long time since I had seen or talked with her. When they’re so young, you’re never sure if they remember you. She did the same to T, kissing him on the cheek.
This evening, as I resumed writing again for the first time in a while, a thought came to me about that moment.
That kiss was from me. A kiss from God. I cried.
When I told T he said, “That doesn’t seem crazy to me. It certainly was out of the ordinary and strangely compassionate of her.”
I feel numb. I do not mourn as I think I should over this election. I believe I should because millions now fear for their futures and the futures of their children. (The fact that I do not feel this acutely is a bullhorn announcing my privilege; I am aware of that now.) When they were already feeling oppressed and unwelcome, their fears are now touted by the man we just elected to represent and work for us on the world’s stage for the next four years.
“Chelsey, mom let me read your Instagram post. Wow, your honesty and the depth to be known and loved by God the Father is amazing. My perspective is humble awe of His goodness to both of us. Your choice has allowed both of us to grow and love each other more deeply. Love, dudes”
Word can’t express the joy this brings to my heart.
Now I’m thinking, why not pursue a life of stepping out of pain rather than burying it or holding onto it like a trophy simply because that’s the norm? Why not choose to be free? If we are brave enough, we don’t have to carry our wounds for the rest of our lives. We don’t! We can let pain out of the shadows. It may be excruciating to do so but the fear of being seen is temporary and soon after, relief, hope and best of all, healing rush in. I took a step to do this with one thing in my life yesterday. Honestly, I was afraid but I don’t regret it. It was a step toward wholeness, toward freedom.