Freedom

About twenty years ago, my weekly womens study group had gathered for a prayer and fellowship Tea. One young women shared through sobs and tears how her husband ignored her as a result of weight gain. We all felt her pain, we all understood the rejection that was overwhelming her and limiting her participation in other areas of ministry. We reached out and wrapped our arms around her fervently praying for God to soften her husbands heart. We encouraged her by our love for her. After all others completed sharing and praying we had refreshments in the kitchen. It was at this time I went over to her to socialize. At first glance we both felt relaxed and refreshed. A white hot shock went through me as I looked at the plate in her hands. It was filled with cakes and sweets. Without thinking I took the plate from her hand and thew it in the trash. I then said " I won't let you hurt anymore". She began to cry and immediately left the gathering.

I can't begin to tell you how horrible I felt at this confrontation. Others there just stood in shock and disbelief. I wasn't gonna get any nominations for Miss congeniality so I finished my coffee said good-bye and went home. Home to rerun the words over and over in my mind. I begged God to show me what was in my heart. What had I done?

The following month this woman was visibly absent as we all had left messages and continued to pray for her. She had gone into a caccoon of sorts. Finally, she showed up at a scheduled meeting TWENTY pounds thinner!!! She had done alot of soul searching and gave testimony that at the moment I confronted her the Holy Spirit fell on her to account for remaining a prisoner of her own making. She thanked me for being an instrument of truth and suffering silently as she sorted out her motives and cleaned out her thinking to come in line with the new work of the Holy Spirit over her circumstances.

Her husband did not really change toward her, but she had changed in her level of expectation of him. She had started to use more powerful speech about who Christ was as the ever present partner in her life. She also realized that oppression and depression are subltle chains that had her lost in unhealthy and toxic behaviors.

I learned alot from that "Big Mouth" call to ministry. The truth shall set you free!! Not my truth, not your truth, but the pure and heavenly truth sent to us as a gift of the Holy Spirit! We hear it in scripture, we recognize it in the actions of others who continue to pave a way for us to follow, we sense it in our inner being when we are hungry enough to ingest it. And we hate that it feels like a death inside us, that we are unsettled with the status quo we've adopted. We are required to wash in it and be renewed. Some have said that the truth hurts , well that is a fact . It will continue to untill the outer man gives no resistance to the priority of our inner man.

There is a person inside of us all that operates on Spiritual food. Not the outer man-the shell, we wrongly treasure. But the core of Christs life, alive ,miraculous in it's ability to sustain us as healthy, whole and capable. We just need to know The One whose name is Truth- Jesus!!