Monday, October 22, 2007

Breaking Free

The title may sound very familiar to many of you. It is the titled of the Beth Moore study our ladies Bible study group is doing right now. It has been out for awhile.

When I started this study I didn't think I had much to Break Free of but I was soon surprised. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining. I just didn't realized the excess weight I've been carrying. Just recently I read the following statement by Stormie Omartian. We are trying to run the race of life, but we are having trouble getting up to speed, because we've been carrying excess baggage from the past around with us without even realizing it. That got me thinking. I've realized something over the past few weeks. The weight from my past I was carrying was observed by others even when they didn't know what my weight was. I didn't know either.

My family is saying over and over again how much happier I am and that I am laughing so much more. At first I thought that was do to the weight of surgery lifted off me. Yes that is part of it but as I look over the list of things I'm "Breaking Free" of I believe it is God carrying more and more of the weight for me.
Here are just a few things that has changed me in the last weeks.

I was holding guilt over my brother suicide that I never talked to him about Jesus.
My brother died 20 years ago. Just this past month a gal I didn't know from church was living the same situation now. I spent a long two painful hours writing her a letter. I felt a weight lifted.

We were part of Church that is going through somethings and God was leading us for the past 3 years to leave that church family. We fought it. But we are now members of a wonderful bible preaching church. God lifted another weight from me.

I saw the my father's pride "Don't ruin the family name." I thought I worked past that years ago but I really didn't completely. Will people like me for who I am comes from that. But I am beautifully made in Gods site and that is what truely matters.

I never thought the empty nest years would be something that would be weight to be lifted from me. My oldest daughter married and moved 1 1/2 hours away. I know some of you think that is not far but to someone like me it is. Then my son goes to college 6 hours away. My youngest left for a semester of college and then decided to compute. I use to pray God I can handle a lot of things but keep my kids close by as adults. I didn't know this was something I needed lifted till I did this weeks study. God gives us spiritual children too. I looked at who are my spiritual children. I see the children I teach Sunday School too. I see the youth girls I got to share with on the mission trip. I see a senior girl who will talk to me on facebook who needs support.

God Does Deliver you from your past and use it for His Glory.

Isaiah 43:18-19
"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.


Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

6 comments:

Mark Bugyi said...

Interesting, Sandi.
As I commented in my email last night, you seemed younger when I saw you in church yesterday. Sure, I know, you aren't chronologically younger, but you did have a glow about you that I had not seen.
Read your blog and it seems to be coming together. Your shedding that excess "weight" or "baggage" that all too many of of collect and carry around over the years. It's a drag on out spirit and in turn becomes an outward physical drag.
People who glow for Jesus just seem younger. Remember the song, "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine" "Hide it under a bushel, NO! I'm going to let it shine. Only when we let Jesus carry that weight, that baggage, that bushel, will we again glow.
mb

Anonymous said...

Bless your heart, Sandi.
Loved your Post

Talk..to..Grams said...

This was a good post!! sounds like you have done a good job with shedding all the excess stuff we pick up!! We all do get baggage along the way! and sometimes it is hard to shed it....

sharon brobst said...

AMEN! I, like you thought the same thing before we started. I should have know better. Breaking Free of the strongholds in our lives will be a life long process of letting go...

I love the way God is so patient with us and works in our hearts so that we can be even closer to His image.

Bless you Sandi! You looked great yesterday.

Denise said...

Praise God for helping you to shed your excess baggage my friend.

Kathy said...

That's great that you are letting go of the excess "weight" and letting God carry it for you! Hope your recovery is continuing to go well!