As I awoke this morning, this very clear and distinct message was the very first thing that popped into my head.  I don’t remember what I was dreaming, but this revelation was clear.

IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHING DEEPER

Symptoms are what we see.  We try to treat those symptoms to feel better.  What we really need to treat is what is actually causing those symptoms.  We need to dig deep inside and investigate to bring true healing.

This is true physically.  We feel pain, something hurts, and we can either pop some kind of pill to decrease that shooting pain, OR we can investigate to find out what is causing that pain and correct that.

This is true emotionally.  We feel anger, hatred, jealousy, or envy.  We can pop some kind of drug to mask how we feel, OR we can investigate to discover what is causing those feelings and work on healing the cause.

This is true spiritually.  We feel lost, afraid, alone, far away from God.  We can attend every church service, volunteer, read the Bible, OR we can choose to go deeper and work on healing and nurturing our actual RELATIONSHIP with God.

This is true relationally.  We feel unloved, ignored, de-valued.  We can work harder just to please the other person, we can look for new friends or a new spouse, we can blame others for how we feel they treat us, OR we can choose to go deeper and confront the real issues and build a close intimate marriage and true friendships.

BUT . . . .

• going deeper hurts.
• going deeper requires me to face my own failures and inadequacies
• going deeper takes me to dark places
• going deeper reveals pain that I don’t really want to remember
• going deeper ultimately brings TRUE healing!
• going deeper will make us healthier
• going deeper will enable us to really use the skills and gifts God has given to us
• going deeper will challenge us to live up to our God-given potential!

SO . . . . the choice is yours . . . .

• Do you want just a temporary fix OR do you want true healing?
• Are you going to just mask and avoid the pain OR are you willing to do the hard work to find and experience true healing?
• Will you choose the easy way out of your marriage OR are you willing to humbly admit your own failures and shortcomings and CHOOSE to love, to grow, to bring healing and produce a deep intimate relationship?

Yes, it is hard work, painful work, life-changing work.

BUT the results, the growth, the joy, the freedom, the friendships, the marriage ~ it’s all worth fighting for ~ it causes growth ~ it produces fruit ~ it adds so much blessing into our lives.

It IS worth the journey.

Luke 2:7 – She gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Revelation 3:20 – Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

“No room for them in the inn.”  This phrase prompted my pondering.  When have I refused Jesus entry into the inn of my life ~ my heart?  He only desires what is good and true and best for me, yet when He knocks, I think I can handle it all by myself and reject His help.  Or I give Him a small unimportant dirty corner of my heart (that manger out back ~ the house that needs to be cleaned, the meals that need to be cooked), but won’t allow Him to enter into more important and intimate arenas (my relationship with my husband and daughter, the way we manage our money and time, with the things I fill my mind).  I am self-sufficient.  I make good choices without His help.  Or so I think.

But that’s all about “stuff”.  What He desires most is to come in and eat with me.  Spend time together.  Talk.  Laugh.  Cry.  Hang out!  Encourage.  Grow.  Do I hear His voice?  Am I ignoring His voice?  Or am I responding to His voice and His incredible invitation to dine with Him?  To be transparent.  Honest.

Challenge:  This Christmas, open that door to your inn and invite Him in to STAY!  Let love be born in YOU.  Make room for Immanuel ~ God with us ~ in your heart.  Not just for Christmas.  But for the Whole.Year.Through.

A story from my past . . . many years ago, God taught me some lessons with a $1.00 bill.

I was living in Ohio at the time serving 1 year as a volunteer for a mission agency.  During my year of voluntary service, my housing and food was provided for us, and we also received a minimal allowance each month to cover our other personal expenses (such as soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc)

One weekend some of us decided to attend a concert.  If I remember correctly, the tickets for the concert only cost $2.00 each.  Just the right price for someone volunteering!  Then a love offering was collected at the concert to cover the rest of their expenses.

All was going well . . . until offering time.  I had only $1 left in my pocket and it needed to last me another 2 weeks before I would receive my next monthly allowance.  I clearly felt God asking me to place that last dollar into the offering plate.  I had some really good and quick arguments with God about this before the plate reached me.

“What will I eat at McDonald’s after the concert?  Right now I only have enough for a small order of fries!”

“What if I need something before I receive my next monthly allowance?”

“Oh, come on!  I’m already volunteering a year of my life!  Why do I need to give my last dollar?”

The message from God was clear:  trust Me, obey Me, and I will take care of you.

I took a deep breath and placed my last dollar into the offering plate as it passed.  I sipped on a glass of water at McDonald’s after the concert.  I knew I had done the right thing by obeying and trusting.  Was that it?  Was that all there was to this test?

Later, the next week, I received an envelope in the mail.  It was a short letter from my home church with a check enclosed.  The church had decided to support their young people who were called to volunteer for a year with a small monthly stipend.  The check totaled $100!  That was 100 times MORE than what I gave!  Can you believe it????

Lessons I Learned:

~I had witnessed my father faithfully contributing each week to the church offering.  I saw him place his money into the plate as it passed by.  I have no idea how much he contributed, but I learned by watching him that it was important to give to God.  I knew that we didn’t have lots of money growing up.  I knew it was a sacrifice each week to give when we could have easily used the money to provide for necessities (like food and clothes).  Yet we never starved and we always managed to have clothes to wear.  I realized that tithing was important and it was already part of my life.

~ This time I learned for myself that obedience to God is very important for me – whether it be a big thing or a little thing.

~ I learned that God can and will provide for our needs when we walk in obedience to Him!  My responsibility is to tithe faithfully and consistently without questioning, and then give more as He directs me to give.

~ I learned to trust God more and in a deeper way by experiencing this for myself.  Tho I had seen God work by my father’s obedience, I needed to experience it myself for me to really grasp this truth.

How is God working in your life?  Is He calling you to walk in obedience in some way?  Are you submitting to His wisdom and care?  Or are you resisting?  I challenge you to take a deep breath, and allow yourself to follow in HIS footsteps!  You won’t ever regret it!