What if we really told the truth? The real truth in our hearts. What if we showed up in the world truly aunthetic?Without fear,shame,anger,bitterness and frustration?What if we just said the truth about how we felt? How we really felt when we failed that exam? How we felt when we saw our former classmates shatter the glass ceiling of different areas of life?How we felt when we saw our siblings make it and we felt behind?How we really felt when we held our babies the first time in our hands? How we really actually felt. I am sure, Some of us felt saddened by things that should have made us happy according to societal standards.
We saw the baby we just delivered and instead of feeling happy we felt depressed. We saw the friend and instead of being proud of them we felt jealous. We saw the sibling achieve their dreams in life and instead of being happy we felt envious. We cried not because they were tears of joy but because these were tears of despair. When will it be finally our time? We questioned amidst the painful tears. We went to church not because we were born-again and really loved the Lord but because we were desperately seeking answers. It didn’t make sense. We showed up to that party not because we were elated or even comfortable being there but because we really didn’t want to look bad or unappreciative. We paid for the bride price for ourselves and lied to everyone its the groom who did it not because we felt good but because we bowed to the pressure. The engagement ring you ask? We lie about it.Yet we know we bought it and we really got proposed to by no one. Not because we are evil but just because we are the longing brides or grooms.
Okay, If you’ve been there come here.Have a seat Darlene. You are not alone. Majority of us who were and are probably still there. This does not necessarily make you a wicked person. It just exposes the longing in you to be seen, to be loved, to be cared for,to achieve and to be significant. Do not let even for a second let that voice in your head call you a weird individual.No.You are just human. And that void exposes the whole point of being human. A longing. You are longing. And the only who can fill that longing believe it or not, Is not that career, not the job your friend has gotten, not the achievements of your siblings, not your mother addressing you respectfully even despite your failures, not the dollars,imagine,not even the life you wished and imagine to get to or to have, and certainly not even power. That Longing is the whole reason Jesus Christ met the Samaritan woman at the well and instead of calling out the woman who had many husbands she called out the evangelist in her,Its the whole reason God met Gideon hiding and despite how cowardly and filled with fear He called Him the Mighty man of valor, Its the whole reason God saw Abraham needed a child even though He did not talk about it, Its the whole reason God met Rahab and made a prostitute a grandmother to our savior Jesus Christ, Its the whole reason God told Hosea to still go get Gomer even after she was constantly unfaithful to him.
You know why? Because God himself created us like that to Long so that He can satisfy us through Jesus Christ. So that we can face life again. So that we can look at that child again, our feelings aside so that now we understand that we can only show up for ourselves and the rest of those around us through the love and contentment that does not come from our achievements or our things but hear this: we can get our whole identity and satisfaction and contentment that comes from Jesus Christ.Inorder to look at life from the lenses of Jeus Christ.Sweetheart,Life in Christ was never meant to be easy, It was meant to be bearable. So that when you cry yourself to sleep,When you long, You still allow the Holy spirit to encourage and comfort you and remind you,That though it may tarry it Shall still come to pass and your time shall come to pass. That Yahweh will sure enough bring to completion the good work Hes started in you.That God,No matter what you do will change this heart of ours and transform and renew us from jealousy,hate,anger,envy and dissatisfaction that stems from lack of contentment to love,satsifaction,contentment,identity;And please,Not by our own power but through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy spirit.
So,Stay!Stay in His presence.Dont just come. The miracle is not in coming, the miracle is in staying. The transformation is in staying. The renewal is in falling back into that addiction, falling back into sin, falling back to jealousy,envy,pain but still choosing to Stay.Still choosing to Crawl back to Him.Yes.Its in staying. Because the more you stay the more He makes you more like Him.The more He fills you with contentment. The more He purifies you.The more He makes you show up in the world less of your feelings to more of Him.And little by little,As the years go by, Yes you heard that right,Years,Not days,Not months,Years.Because Its the power of staying.The more He transforms you from the longing Bride or Groom to a contented,joyful,peaceful bride who can now show up for the rest without pain,envy,jealousy,anger,bitterness but just love.So next time you see us happy and joyful and clapping so loudly for the rest, Do not even think for a second we were born like that, Majority of us; Its because we genuinely found assurance and contentment in Jesus Christ and we are daily being transformed from longing brides to contented brides in the assurance that it doesn’t matter it all works out together for our good because we are growing in love with Yahweh and are called according to He’s purpose.
SO COME,TASTE,SEE AND STAY LONGING BRIDE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD!
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