Hopefully, by now, some of you are actually reading The Shack!
The next item up for discussion was the note from God that Mac found in his mailbox. I have a feeling that if I were Mac the story would have ended here. I am 95% sure I would have thought it was a cruel joke. Why? Because in my previous state of mind, God does not leave notes in mailboxes. I would assume that if He is God, He can come find me or He and I can catch up during "ministry time". And, I certainly would not want to meet Him in a place that causes an indescribable sorrow in my life. C'mon, God. Let's meet in a safer place.
Which makes me ask the question (to you as well as myself)...has God left me any "invitations" to experience His true presence and I've passed up the invitation? Perhaps, because I was suspicious or wounded? What would you do with an invitation from God that goes a little something like this.....
Dear _____________,
Meet me at a painful reminder of your past.
Love, God.
Yikes.
Imagine what we miss out on by not meeting Him when He invites us. Now, think of the powerful encounter that occurs when we accept that invitation. We get the chance (like Mac) to REALLY know Him.
Your thoughts?
6 comments:
"The land of your wounding is the land of your healing; the land of your pain is the land of your anointing; the area of your failure is where you will shine; and the land of your defeat is where you will rise victorious." Maria Arbolario
Ohhhh, I really like Beautiful Grace's quote!! I have to say in my darkest hour and my greatest pain God met me so powerfully I could never go back to anything else. I connected with Mac and his note from God. I have had to return to some of the most excruciating and painful moments of my life with God by my side. Yes I felt the pain surge back but the encounter I recieved from the Lord was incredible. God is not an invasive God. He will go only as far as we allow Him. He will drop invitation but not force us but when we are willing to risk it all, all the pain, hurt, denial whatever He comes so powerfully. IT's worth the risk just like we saw with Mac!
I personally have never received an invitation as such from the Lord. I also can attest that I have not personally found a note or other physical means of the Lord getting my attention in my "mailbox"...
BUT, I do know some people who have. And, I have heard testimony of a package or letter arriving - unmarked and otherwise unsigned as from where it came - but inside the letter and package was found an exact answer to prayers....
Thank you, Beautiful Grace, for sharing this quote. I will "post" it for myself to remember.
I wish we didn't have to look back to move forward but what I have experienced is that often there are "chains, ropes and cages" in that painful hurtful past that keep me from moving foward and until I first, acknowledge it (rather than deny it) and secondly allow my loving heavenly Father to bind up my broken heart, unlock my prison doors and bring His light into my darkness I am not really free to move forward.
There are sovereign times of release that He has graced me with but other times I have been comforted and freed by His amazing Presence and the truth He brought me in that time and place with Him. However He chooses to bring me forward, I know He will be with me and knows what is best for me, even visiting old places of wounding and pain.
Ok, Melissa, how did you get the link button to link this blogger account to your facebook???!!
I find myself very hesitant to go back to some things, yet I have had the Lord personally take me back through memories and heal me in the process. I'm not afraid when He takes me and it is time, but at any other time, I avoid it. Like now, I almost didn't write this comment because just reading your post reminds me of some areas I really don't feel like visiting right now.
By the way, a good friend of mine just faced this type of thing head-on when asked to by the Lord, and the fruit of it was amazing!
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