The last time we spoke, we explored how we need to walk out of shame and walk to the Father. I know that some of you may be walking through something right now and are probably thinking, “Sure, it is just that simple. Jerk.”
Simple.
Turn to the Father, and all will be okay.
No journey is easy. This walk out of shame and back to finding myself again, finding the man I want to be, and the man the Lord sees in me, is not simple. It is a long and difficult journey.
Long.
Tiresome.
Filled with obstacles to overcome.
I hope that none of you are reading this and thinking that I have figured everything out. That is not the case at all. The journey to find myself has been difficult and filled with many lessons.
The broken road back to the Father and the man I know I can be is just that—broken. First, I had to be willing to admit that I needed help. I needed to shed the cloud of shame that was around me so I could even see the direction in which I should start moving. What I found when that cloud lifted was not something I am proud of.
I had filled the road ahead with crutches that I used to make excuses. Each of these I had to face and determine how to remove them from my path.
Food was a crutch. I told you how we are getting healthy, but that wouldn’t have been an issue if I didn’t eat for comfort.
Alcohol was a crutch. It masked the pain I felt and, for a short time, allowed for smiles and laughter. But...
Laughter was a crutch. If you make everyone laugh and be a fool, no one will notice how truly unhappy you are. They just let you swim in that pool of despair, you have grown comfortable with.
Material possessions were a crutch. When you are purchasing something new, you feel so happy. That only lasts about ten minutes.
There are so many things that we use to avoid looking ahead, avoid looking at the Word, and avoid looking at the Father. Looking to the Father means facing all of these things and facing our shame.
This journey is not easy.
This journey is not fun.
But…
You don’t have to do this journey alone. I didn’t.
I found others to help me.
To listen.
To direct me back to the Word.
To direct me back to the Father.
Facing the path to find yourself is an arduous one.
You will stumble. I did. Many times.
Don’t mistake a stumble for a fall back into shame. This journey is only accomplished if we keep getting back on the road.
Together.
Back on the road to find us.
Talk again soon…
