We all have a journey that we have been sat upon. Much like a chess board. We all have a starting place, we all have a choice in each move made, and we all have an opportunity to turn mere dust into something beautiful. Or into burnt ashes. Life is not without its challenges. For us all. I know no one who has lived a life without facing obstacles. Different for us all, yet the same.
As I grew older, and wiser (hopefully) I came to realize the only way to "win" is to checkmate the dark King. To capture the one who demands your loyalty in believing you are the total sum of what he says you are. Nothing more, nothing less. That dark king is a mere substitute for the real king, and wants nothing more than to control the light that is inside us. He wants that light snuffed out, and gets the job done with one bad choice at a time, keeping us in a dungeon of sorts with no seeming way out. We might reach for something better, but because we have believed a lie, can never seem to grasp it.
Choices. Life is about choices. What we choose to believe will be our guiding light. We may have fallen into a pit, but there is always a way out even though we may not see it for a time. It may take a bit of scraping off the cobwebs that encapsulate all the lies we believed, a whole lot of courage, and a determined cry for help when we are the weakest. That's another thing. Our real enemy wants to keep us trapped by isolating us from those who honestly love us. Our family. Our friends. And never does he want us considering the only person who can literally save us. Because if we entertain the thought of there being something better for us, something that will give us real life, that truth will destroy him and control will be lost.
I believe we were born with a North Star inside us. A place reserved for our creator alone. Until we realize the light he provides; until we realize we were created for greatness and not insignificance, that part of us will remain void. A lonely place. The light we were born with diminishes to a mere flicker once we buy into the lie that we don't have value. Our eyes become dim as we look at a beautiful world and see only destruction. Until we search for truth, not "our truth", but THE truth...until we come to the end of struggling to be who we were never intended to be, our life will be nothing short of miserable. After all, what does it profit us to gain the whole world, but lose our soul in the process?
One last thing. We can search for truth in all the wrong places without even realizing that is what we are doing. Blinded, you might say, to the reality of any given situation. But there is always a way out. Always. Searching in the right place would mean to bow our knee to releasing self-centeredness, and allow that North Star to guide us. A good place to start would be to verbally ask God to show himself to us. It will always be a personal destination. Others may point you in the right direction, but a relationship with God is always personal. We are unique to Him. Each having a "special assignment" as it were. Sure. There is a broad, sweeping likeness in us all. Yet God's stamp upon each of us is unique. Not one thumbprint is the same. Isn't that interesting? Each journey leads back to Him. Our choices determine how long that takes.
My adult "plumb line" is to measure the truth of any situation with just how much peace it brings, or how much unrest it brings. Do I need to wrestle with demons from the my past (that's a for sure red flag!)? Or can I move forward, knowing that it is the one who created me, who placed his "North Star" inside me and loves me unconditionally, that directs my steps? No matter the journey...
He is our light in the darkness. Our flickering flame that can't be extinguish. Our flame to light the way.
As always, here you will find me...in Mary's World
P.S.
Having been fed so many lies most of my existence, I have an indwelling resistance to deception on any level. I seriously cannot stand to hear the words, "I was only kidding! Can't you take a joke?" No...I cannot, I will not receive deception of any kind. By the way, not telling the whole story is a form of lying. With-holding anything is hiding the truth. Partial truth is a non-truth, when it's intentional. I would much rather receive the wounds of the truth than to be fed a lie...a deception that damages so much more than the simple truth would. And, how does one trust another when they speak lies? I don't think that is what God meant when he said to forgive. Yes. People change. I changed. But until that day, know that I'm not interested in non-truths.
#myjourneyamongtheunseen #theforgottenway #lifeissues #truthseeker #flameseeker
