Circumcision, innards and other pleasantries

I have not written in my blog for quite an extensive amount of time because the Lord has been intensively working on my heart. There are times when the walls of a house need to be repainted and adjustments need to be made so a home is a safe structure. There are also times when the condition of the home has reached the point where professionals decide that the house ought to be demolished because the home is unsafe and unfit for healthy and happy living.

The Lord recently revealed to me that he was not going to only make adjustments to my heart, but was going to demolish the current structure and rebuild. I write this not to imply that the Lord made errors during His initial construction of my heart. Like a home is affected by the winds, rains, and conditions of its environment, my heart had been stained by the mire of the world and damaged by the storms of neglected hurts and ignored assaults. The platitudes of "Let go, let God" and "God will make a way" blanketed the severity of the injuries to my heart and mind, forcing a feigned positivity rather than a genuine reflection and appreciation of the experiences of my past and the propensities of my soul and mind. Over the past few weeks, I have welcomed Jesus’ restorative hand as He exposes truth to me. As I grow in my faith, Jesus deepens my appreciation and understanding of His comment that the truth sets us free. He not only sets us free from sin and eternal captivity in hell, but also from the rotten fruit of unintentional and fleshly living. Jesus first frees us from sin’s grip; He then frees us from ourselves and our natural inclination to reject all that is holy and to be the master of our supposed domain.

As the Lord continues to renovate my heart, the lens by which I perceive the events of daily living evolves. Suddenly seeking a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" story in each of my days seems irrelevant without a prescription to heal the illnesses of the soul. Chicken soup only helps the body when a practical means to propel growth and healing exists, such as medical treatment and rest. I am learning that each of my "True Stories" can be enhanced by practical application and Holy Spirit led instruction to find rest in His Kingship. Our heart delights in encouraging quips and accounts of superficial spirituality, but it is troubled by the truth of our own mediocrity and the evasion of spiritual circumcision. I will attempt to blend both quip and circumcision, which will most likely result in short accounts that literally and metaphorically cut at our flesh. And I will also avoid using terms like circumcision, because no one smiles when they read that word.

Thank you for your patience and allowing me time to find rest in Jesus and sometimes in my mattress. I look forward to growing with you as we seek out the truth in all matters and practically apply this truth to the innards of our hearts. And I will also avoid using the word "innards," because it too does not sound very pleasant.