I Am Not Seasonal

The fortuitous trees stand their ground, year after year, staying planted in a spot the planter chose for them. The water flows from the hand of another while the sun relinquishes light without compensation. There is a dance here, a balance between intention and provision.

Season after season the trees bear root, tuckering down into the fertile soil, fulfilling the intention of its creation...to grow. Within growing the tree is provided for. It acts as a covering, a shelter for wildlife while cleaning the air for all to breathe. It can be a source of sustenance, being drilled into for sap to make a sweet liquid syrup, or harvested for luscious fruit.

When uprooted, it yields wood for construction, it provides cellulose fibers to make paper. At minimum, it is chopped up and used to kindle a fire. If it is moved or used the uprooting derives from the skilled planter. At every phase of growth the tree has provision for its intended purpose. There is purpose in every season of life.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Jeremiah the prophet needed an illustration for the people of Judah who were buried in sin. The most impactful visual consistent with the intention of human life is the tree. God knew his people needed something easy to reference when they became disconnected from him. Sin alienates us, and confuses our spirit, making us numb to the nudges of the holy spirit. We over time fall out of alignment with our intention, and dysfunctional in our given purpose.

God desires for us to be like the tree. To remember that our confidence comes from the hands of the planter, and not our own hands. Our sole purpose is to live, to grow, relying on God more than we rely on ourselves.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).

Life will continue to turn up the heat. We will suffer as followers of Jesus Christ, but he tells us that he has overcome the world.

Meditate on this scripture:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

We don’t need to worry about tomorrow, but we need to grow in the provision that covers our roots today. Remain connected to your purpose, the reason God created you does not wield from your own hands but from the planters. He wants you to remain in alignment with your intention. You are to grow in the spaces you reside, that’s an order. Speak life in the darkness. Fill your life with God’s words and not your own. Even in the fire, there is purpose. You may not understand what God is doing through you but have faith and remain in him anyway.

Prayer:

God help me to stay planted in all seasons. Help me to bask in the shade of your covering, and be relinquished by your spirit. I give up my desire to know all the details, I rely on the intention you have given me. Help me to grow and prosper under any circumstances. I will not be tossed to and fro but I will stay rooted by your strength and not my own.

In Jesus name I pray.

Amen.

Bring The Heat

The flow of the Savior’s blood washes over me. It cleanses wounds, and sifts through the corruption, the pollution of my soul. When I’m drowning, weakened by sombering friendships, and painful gasps, I can look to the hills, this is where my help comes from.

The vast mountains paint the sky, the Lord from above never will he deny his love for me.

The fickleness of friendship can leave us dismayed, and persuaded to believe the lie of the enemy. He wants us to believe we are better off alone. When the wind blows passionately, we must head for covers, leaving our relationships to fend for themselves.

The vigorous approach to life is to believe you can succeed without the support of connection. We are made to connect with the barista, the sales clerk, the one sitting with many, and the one sitting alone. There is a balance here, where we must steward our connections from the overflow of goodness.

Last night, I ventured to my yoga studio tucked in a little brick-and-mortar in downtown Speedway. It’s always comforting to walk through the fragrant entry way, the hardwood floor shines from the ambient lighting, smelling of mint, and sage. I leave my shoes, and hang my belongings, walking with expectancy. This class is intimate with just one other person aside from the instructor and I.

She asks if we want to try anything new?

“I’ve been working towards the headstand, and can use some guidance.” It was only after I said this that I remembered how challenging this class tended to be.

She smiled, “It’s all about the core, we will warm this area up, and give it a go towards the end.” Boy, was I in for a fiery core! I began to question life itself as she continued to push me towards my goal.

Let’s just say, by the time I made it to the wall to practice the headstand, I surprised myself. As I was upside down, she had me zip my legs tight, and pull my strength from my fired up core. I still need practice, but this was the closest I had ever been to achieving this pose. To be honest, I didn’t think I was strong enough yet to even hold my legs in the air.

Life is full of ups and downs, but it’s at the core of who you are that will keep you balanced. At your core, you will find strength. If your core is superficial, not built on a rock, something stronger than you, you will crumble under pressure.

God uses fire to cleanse, and to refine. The heat of tension connects us to the one who made us. Have you been tried by fire? Have you wanted to call it quits in your life? Are you trying to do a headstand with a weak core? Are you trying to give in relationships/friendships from an empty tank?

Meditate on this scripture:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

God has purpose for the heat in your life. Let your strength come from the core, Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

God forgive me for trying to give while under capacity,

Lord help me to be sustained by your word,

to feed good things into my spirit

so that I may reap good things in manifestation.

Lord restore the foundation of my relationships,

anything not bowing to you let me move forward without.

In your precious son’s name Jesus, I pray

Amen.

No Mask For His Glory

A mask can be used to conceal identity, the truest version of who you are. There are many masks that we use to obliterate, and protect ourselves from: harmful words, shame, guilt, and physical/emotional abuse.

Imagine a girl burdened by the pain of feeling excluded from field games during recess, no one seems to pick her to be on their team, she internalized this...brewing with anxiety, and fear. She doubts that she is worthy of friends, and whips out a mask to offset the lack of acceptance. In her adulthood she has the same anxiety in friendships/relationships, she will say anything, pretending to like certain people... to be loved.

She never dealt with the old wounds from rejection, she just continued allowing this to be her new normal. She is starving for attention and affection. People identify her now as the life of the party; while in contrast she is a bookworm, and a true introvert, loving the outdoors, simply longing for security, acceptance, and love.

She has settled for cheap thrills, a party that never seems to stop, she’s tired of the facade, but decides to continue playing this game of “everyone is going to like me now”, anyway.

Her mask went on the minute her true self was let down.

Is there a moment that you can remember when everything changed. You went into the situation with innocence, and sincerity ...but left realizing that life is not easy, and people can hurt you.

A part of your personality became fragmented by the whispers or shouts from others. You neglected the true parts of who you are to survive in a cold tormented social playground.

You reasoned that if who you are is not worthy of who they think you should be ...then you must change, being altered by a mask.

I envision maybe you began to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, and even your mannerisms took a plunge into an adaptive state. But God wants you to acknowledge that this is not you. There are protective layers that have been amidst you for years, and social media has made it even more difficult to get to the truth, the roots of your identity. These roots have been severed to sustain in such an evil place.

Imagine a young boy that came from a childhood of verbal abuse, divorce, and alcoholism. He attends school and immediately cites the difference between him, and everyone else. He is made fun of for his homely wardrobe, and dirty tennis shoes. He always smells of cigarette smoke as his mother is a chain smoker.

He decides that if this is how the world is going to be then he’s going to take on a mask of indifference. He never cries, but just denies his emotional distress on the inside, it shows in his actions. As a high-schooler he is known as the bad boy, he could care less about homework, he drinks, sneaks out, and is on the pathway to be expelled from school. He goes against the rules, to offset the hurt, and the rejection.

As an adult he manages, but has layers upon layers that he refuses to acknowledge, all rooted from an unstable home life, and an absent father. On the inside he is meek, loving, and gentle. He use to hold a teddy bear to fall asleep as a child, but now he nurses himself with business acumen, and a little church on Sunday.

Fast forward to now, he seems okay looking at his profile on Instagram, and Facebook, but he never healed, the mask now has layers, aged with materialism, and pride.

God knows the load you’re carrying, he sees you sitting amidst: anxiety, rejection, fear, pain, abuse, pride, and doubt. Today, right now...he is intervening on your behalf, let it all go.

In order to do this the first step is to identify the mask, why do you do the things that you do? When did you start doing this? What did you learn to do in order to get others to like you, or not like you?

If you don’t deal with your past the enemy will use it against you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

The enemy doesn’t play fair, he will expose your insecurities. Are you are fighting from someone else’s identity? How can you fight if you don’t know who you truly are on the inside? Are you fighting from a place of spiritual infancy? God desires for us to grow in our faith, and biblical aptitude, but the mask must be removed in order to grow into who you are called to be.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth (Ephesians 4:14).

Have you ever met someone that was on fire for the Lord, and then 12 months later you see them renouncing their faith, now attesting to no longer knowing what they believe. The enemy attacks you in the weaknesses of your true identity, not who you pretend to be. You may portray yourself as being overly anxious, but Satan knows the root, and shakes up the unstable ground upon which you stand. We must go through the process of uncovering what was lost, and being recovered by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let him recover you today, let go, and begin the process of healing. You are in there somewhere, let the shadows fall beneath you, under your feet, and shower in the light of hope, destiny, and God’s purpose for your heart.

Prayer:

Lord we pray for healing to begin and the acting.. to cease, to end.

We acknowledge that apart of our true identity is undercover, help us

remove the veil, and remember the point of rejection where we suited up

to survive in the harshness of the world. Let the tears show, and expose the holes, and cracks.

Break up dissension in our hearts, and reunite us with our true selves.

Reunite us with you Lord, let the facade fall away.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray,

Amen.

Thinking Point’s

How would you describe yourself? How would someone else describe you? Is there a disconnect? What was the earliest memory of rejection from your youth?

Action Point’s

Create a rejection timeline starting from your earliest memory to the present. Pray over this list, and journal about these experiences, and how they have changed you.