It's been a while... mostly because my thoughts, feelings and inspirations have not been worth writing about, or have been way to personal for the eyes of the world to view... until Monday.
So Monday, you may be wondering why I didn't write this on Monday - to be honest I think I lost my writing savvy for a little while, or at least my desire to write - but it's slowly found it's way back to me and hopped in my pocket again. At least for this post.
Anyway, Monday - what happened so suddenly on Monday that was a revelation worth sharing? Quite simply God gave me a picture to clearly illustrate a point that has not only kept me so supported all week but could easily change people lives if we apply it. To understand the picture I will ask you to imagine for a second that you are in a cold, dark room. In this room are candles and because you are cold you keep lighting them, they go out often and you light them again, it's all really a race to keep the candles lit. Is the room really that much warmer? Now imagine that it's 30 degrees and sunny outside, and your by the ocean and the room that your in has a door that is easily opened. Would you want to stay inside?
People have been on my mind a lot lately - friendships and relationships and complicated stuff like that. Basically I have never felt good enough around people, I feel as if I can't communicate well and that what I have to say isn't worth communicating, I've felt as if it's a cycle that can't be broken, people's opinions have always seemed negative and not enough.
People are candles.
Why are people's opinions always so unfulfilling, when I look back there is rarely times that people have actually said something to make me feel inadequate - there have always been people who love me as well as people who didn't. One failed relationship is not the end of the world so why is it so hard to feel like it isn't.
God is the sun.
People's opinions will always, ALWAYS be inadequate. We were not made to be warmed by candles and we were not made to be fulfilled by the good opinions of the people around us. Even if everyone you ever met thought you were the best person in the world it wouldn't be enough because it's not how we were made. We were made to be warmed by the sun. We were made for God's love to be what shows us our value - this also means that when people do have a negative opinion, or simply seem to have no opinion at all, that it is just as irrelevant as if they have a good opinion. It doesn't matter. They are little candles and you need to be in the sun, by the beach, basking in a beautiful day.
For some people God's love might be terrifying, for some people God doesn't love at all... what I want to offer you is hope - God DOES love you, He IS safe - I encourage you to take a step towards that love, it IS there and one of the ways he shows it is by not going where he isn't invited, so let down your defenses and stop keeping yourself locked in a dark cold room. Take a risk with God, maybe just ask him to show you he loves you, and come into the sun.
