Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

I just finished a six week inner healing prayer ministry. It was incredibly difficult, exhausting, sometimes deeply sad and yet life-giving, healing, and hopeful at the same time. Each week I sent out prayer requests to a few friends whom I had asked to pray for me through the process. As I shared what the Lord was revealing to me and how he was leading me to pray I was met with many responses of gratefulness for my vulnerability, it turned out that many others had the same struggles, questions and fears that I did.

There are some dark thoughts in my head at times, some places of my heart that I am sure if people knew they would not love and accept me, their perception of me would change completely.

But then, slowly, as I unveil these places I find with surprising joy that many others feel the same way. I don't have to live in fear of rejection or embarrassment and when I choose not to and share those places of my heart not only do I move into greater freedom but it enables others to as well.

Below is the last email I sent out before the end of my time in this ministry. It was scary to write these things down and press send. If I hadn't I would have still believed I was the only one, if I hadn't I wouldn't have opened up the opportunity for healing in my heart and the heart's of others. So I decided to not only press "send" but to press "publish" as well, and send this out into the deep void where I am sure, at least one other person will say, "me too".

Hi friends,

Well, it's officially my last week with Abor Springs prayer ministry. Home stretch! I know the work has just begun and therefore would love for you to continue praying through things with me even after this process is over.

I have been really challenged in the last couple of weeks regarding my perception of God and the events in my life. Do I really believe God is good and that His intentions towards me are good? I have also been challenged in my own devotion to the Lord, He has asked me to choose Him above all else and to choose Him no matter what and I have been wrestling with this the last few weeks as I've prayed over relationships, chronic pain and other things that easily lead me to a place of mistrust and depression.

My prayer is that I will dig deep, that I will be "deep earth" if you will, that I will trust God when everything seems against me and that I will praise Him and love Him in all circumstances. That I will allow Him to work instead of striving in my own flesh. And I think most of all that I will believe that He loves me in all circumstances.

My other prayer is how I relate to others, I have been praying to find my validation in the Lord so that as I know I am loved I am free to love others unconditionally. That I will take what people say and do at face value and trust them and most importantly trust the Lord.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18

Living With Chronic Pain- My Messy Beautiful Part Two

This post isn't officially a part of the messy beautiful project but in writing the first one I was inspired to dig in deep into some of the other messy areas of my life.

I've had neck pain and migraines since I was a little girl. I remember curling up in a ball (child's pose for all you yoga buffs out there) on the floor and crying as my head pounded and nausea took over my body.
I went home from school sick all the time. Which to be honest, was kind of nice because it meant my mom had to leave work to come get me so I got to see her and she would always buy me ice cream.

They didn't know a lot about migraine until about 15 years ago, there was really no treatment or understanding of what caused it. So you just had to wait it out. When I was in college they finally came out with a medicine that worked. I could take it and within a few hours I would feel better, it was a miracle. Of course it was expensive but ask any migraine sufferer and they'll tell you it's worth it.

Even with new medication and new understanding of the causes of migraine, mine have been a constant friend (or foe?). Living with chronic pain is hard. You learn to put on a smile and pretend you're ok and continue with your daily tasks but it's hard and it doesn't really get easier. Usually after the 10th day in a row or so of a migraine I break down. I curl up in my bed and cry and cry because I am so discouraged and tired. It's discouraging. I can't do everything I want to do because of the pain and because some things might cause further pain.

One time a friend said to me (regarding my health issues) "what's the worst thing that could happen? You die and go to be with Jesus." To which I responded, "actually, that's the best thing that could happen. The worst thing would be I keep living, and never get better. The worst thing would be that no man ever chooses me to love because he doesn't want to take on lifelong sickness. The worst thing would be I'm not strong enough to care for a family, that would be the worst." And those are the fears that daily plague me. For many women the common fear is that we are too much and not enough all at the same time and adding chronic pain onto that exponentially grows that fear. I hate asking for prayer because I feel like I'm annoying and assume people are tired of hearing about my pain. I also think that I've done such a good job of hiding my pain that people may not actually believe me when I tell them how bad it really is.

This is supposed to be encouraging somehow but sometimes I really don't feel encouraged. I feel worn out and hopeless. I feel like things will never get better and I won't be able to handle that. But then I remember everyday before today and how God gave me the grace to handle it. How He met me in those dark places and spoke life to me. I remember the times I've had with Jesus in the midst of my pain that I never would have had otherwise, the depths we have gone too because of my great need for Him in my weakness. And what I wouldn't give to be healed and free of this pain but yet I'm so grateful for God's faithfulness in the midst of it. We live in a fallen, sin-plagued, painful world but God is able to take our brokenness and pain and work it to good in our lives and I can testify that He does just that.

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9