Unlocked, Unburdened. (And great Ministry news!)

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever tried to open a door with the wrong key, or tried so hard to wrestle your way free of some situation, but you just couldn't? Maybe it's an addiction , guilt from mistakes in the past, a broken relationship, or something else that you have convinced yourself you cannot break free of in life. On a side note:  If you have a serious addiction or problem, I encourage you to seek medical attention or a counselor.

But, think about it for a minute. If I asked you all to close your eyes and then raise your hand if you've ever felt trapped, I'd assume that the majority of people would raise their hands in the air. We all feel stuck at some point. What if you could change that, though? What if the tedious routine of "ignorance is bliss" or "I'll deal with it later" could finally be dealt with today, and you finally felt unlocked and unburdened?

This morning, I stayed up well into the night moved to tears by a true story about a boy with autism.  Many kids who suffer from this are trapped inside of a world they cannot escape, whether they are non-communicative or high functioning AS (Asperger's Syndrome). That's about the extent of my knowledge about the subject, but I will say that the story of a boy who broke free through music and because of prayers and pleas to God filled my heart with a gut wrenching sadness and joy all at one time. He trusted God, even though he couldn't express that to others. 

So, what in your life can you not express to others?

Maybe, you haven't even admitted it to yourself. Maybe, you're scared. Maybe, you feel lost or trapped. I think at some point, we all have or we all do. Will you trust God to help you, even if the answers are not immediate...can you have faith as small as a mustard seed to watch what He can do with your problems? The God who created the stars in the sky and every creature and landscape - He loves YOU. His son Jesus, well, He died on a cross so no one else would have that burden. But, God and His son, they love YOU. We are  told that we would have trouble in this world and to take heart, for He has already overcome it.

Guess what that means?

It means God can overcome whatever is going on in your life. His LOVE surpasses all things and His grace is unending. What can He help you to unlock; what burden can his he take upon his yoke to make your burden lighter? (Matthew 11:28-30) Start on your knees. Last night, I prayed like I hadn't in a long time. I'll admit that to you. But, what I will also say is that all of the problems in my life, all of the dilemmas big and small that I was dealing with this week, don't seem like dilemmas today. I don't have to carry the weight of them, because He is already doing that. I just have to trust in His direction and follow His small, still voice. 

Note:

I'm headed to Missouri on a Campus ministry plant at Missouri State University. You can read more about it from the director of Campus Ministry United here. God has so much more planned for me and for our plant team than I could have ever imagined. In my case, I believe that it is because I allowed him the key to my heart and the weight of my past burdens. Now, my future looks so incredibly beautiful and bright! (I'll write more about what I'm feeling regarding this plant in another post).

Don't let the things of the past get to you. He is doing a new thing and you just don't see it yet - trust Him, and see where it goes. This is a personal topic, because it's something that in the past, I've had difficulty wrapping my head around it. That's not to say I never slip up and start trying to rely on myself - I do, I'm human. But, now I am quicker to get on my knees and turn the keys back over to God. He's a much more efficient navigator.

Start the change now. He won't necessarily lead you to Springfield, MO, or even on a campus ministry plant. But what I do know is that He has great plans for each one of us - the blueprints are simply waiting to be unrolled. Where might your adventure with God begin?