This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is on the word open.
It was easy for me to keep things bottled up. I wouldn’t confront my past. I let the enemy have a stronghold over so many places of hurt and I just wouldn’t allow God to have access to my heart. Not willingly.
I wouldn’t open.
Bottle it up and move on. It’ll pass.
But it never did. I’d internalize every detail and you know what they call that? Systematic stress.
It eats you alive before you even know what happened. Peace seems nonexistent. Why bother working through the problems when suppression is so much easier?
But it isn’t. It’s slow poison and one that gives the devil a foothold.
Now, one by one, I give them to God and it’s fresh air every time I do. When I speak, He heals me. I can’t strive for perfection or a place of protection from the things that aren’t. Perfect, that is.
I can embrace this new place. There’s peace here. Acceptance. Baggage and all.
Because He’s opened these doors. Opened my heart. Opened His arms.
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Open
Start:
I’ve opened my heart to spill out the details. It took some time. At first, it seemed somewhat hard. Like words might be gathered up by hands eager to twist and distort those stories. Ears who listen without positive intent. Eyes that look encouraging, but harbor deceit behind them.
“Who do you trust?” I would hear myself say.
…and it’s not easy to build that back once it’s lost.
But I find that in those untold stories…those ones that are heard upon my voice for the first time…comes a healing. I get it out of the dark places where I let it fester and into the light where it unfurls, looking for open arms. Those stories come marching in, one by one, waiting for a chance to be loved and used for good. For His purpose…
I no longer change the locks inside my head…inside my heart. It’s open, where the light continues to pour in and shed warmth onto those chilling places that have no place being locked away inside of me.
And they’re useful, see. That’s why the enemy frightens us into thinking we can’t share. That honesty must be traded in for pride. Selfish ambition. Yeah, we pile that up in our own personal storehouses so we can cash it in on another lie down the road. One that makes us think we don’t need anyone but us.
One that makes us think we don’t need a Savior.
It’s a tiny ball of snow, rolling down a hill…growing as is gobbles up more flakes along the way.
We’re meant to be open, yes? Our stories are meant to be shared. There’s glory in this, you know.
For Him.
We can show the world that He redeems. Our past. Our present. And our future.
And when we lock it up…refuse to open…the enemy wins. Is that what we want?
What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. (Revelation 3:7-8a,b)
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Photo credit: Elisa Malinverni
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Won’t you join me this week for Five Minute Friday over at Kate Motaung’s page? We’d love to see you there! Just familiarize yourself with this page first, no editing, and set your watch for five minutes.
Ok, seriously you just took the words out of my soul. Wow…just wow. Amazing post. Stunning way of writing exactly what’s in your heart. (And honestly, what’s in the heart of this girl.) This is why I love FMF- it’s words like yours that keep me coming back week after week and visiting new blogs such as this one. I pray many Blessings to you and your family
Thank you for such encouragement, Shanon!
Our stories really are meant to be shared! I really enjoyed your post!
Thank you, Tara!
*nods* umhmmm, hard to trust is right. Yet, there is liberty and release in being open to obedience and to sharing our stories.
Blessings to you as you continue to enjoy your openness 🙂
Thank you for visiting, Sabrina!
I so related to your words, Jennifer and feel like I could fill in my own story between your lines. It is hard to open when trust has been lost – when you’ve been vulnerable in places it wasn’t received – cast aside in places you thought were safe. But yes, yes, yes – we do need to be open with one another, with God. Yes, to show that He redeems, that He heals, that there is beauty from ashes and the pain is not in vain. Loved your words and so blessed to have visited from FMF.
There’s so much healing in letting it be free. This weekend, I’ve written my most difficult post yet. I haven’t posted it, as I’m saving it for the week before Easter. But even though I’m the only one that’s seen the words, there’s a peace to knowing that it’s done. It’s written. It no longer has a hold of me.
Thank you for visiting here today, Tiffany. So grateful for the encouragement.
When we are open about our own sin and bring it into the Light, it loses its power over us. The enemy can’t use it to shame us anymore either. Great encouragement here, Jennifer!
Thank you for visiting, Holly!
Lovelovelove this. My heart so resonates… thank you for sharing, Jennifer!
Awe – thanks, Liz!!
Wow, Liz, not sure how I missed this comment from last week but thank you so much for visiting!