As the end of summer closes in, I was reflecting back on some of the events that happened, one of which, was the trip to the Dominican Republic. One of my favorite parts of this trip was hiking up the mountain.
Knowing the hike consisted of about 2 ½ hours up and the same amount to come down, we all were trying very hard to not get our shoes wet crossing the river (more of a stream), especially since it was higher than normal from all the recent rain. We knew if we got them wet going up, we’d be more uncomfortable, they’d be dirtier, and there’d be a possibility of getting blisters on our feet. Well, as it just so happened, it rained while we were up there and everything got wet anyway, including our shoes. This actually made it much easier and faster to hike down the mountain because with our shoes already wet, we weren’t concerned about hopping over rocks to try to keep them dry. We just plunged right into the shin-to-knee-deep water, shoes and all, and kept walking.
There are certain things in our lives that we try to avoid–things we don’t want to “get wet.” We hop over many rocks and try to figure out the best way to hide or not deal with those issues. We don’t want to talk about them or even recognize them in any way, shape or form. This is what shame does. It wants us to hide things about us so no one sees who we really are. Why? Because people can hurt us, reject us, and abandon us. It’s about fear. Shame survives because fear keeps things hidden in the dark.
If we truly understood Father God’s cleansing “rain” over us, washing us of our guilt and shame, we would be willing to just plunge into the river of life, shoes and all. We would not worry about how it feels (comfort), how it looks (appearances), or what might possibly happen if we do “get our shoes wet.” Just knowing God loves us unconditionally and forgives us eternally lets us walk through life unhindered and unashamed–a faster and easier trip.
We pray that His love rain down upon you and soak you thoroughly this week. Now go traipse through the water and enjoy the freedom!
Oh I liked that! What a great teaching to build upon!
That’s great, Cindy. I really enjoyed that.