The Well of Love

I’ve been walking through a tough season relationally with those that I love and adore. Perhaps you have been too. Perhaps you have lost the adoration and are clinging to love…or maybe not. Sometimes people are super hard to love…and honestly, sometimes so am I.

In an attempt to remind myself to live out Colossians 3:14 I will share 5 tips I have found that will help “…put on love, which binds us all together in perfect unity.” I have yet to master them all, but occasionally I do get it right.

1.  Let’s pretend someone said something or did something that made you angry! The type of anger that consumes your thoughts and makes you call your most empathetic friend to spew all over them. This is the moment to grab your own arm and throw yourself into time-out! It is imperative that you cool down otherwise you will not draw from the well of love. What's the well of love? It's the place where you run to God to heal your hurt and pain. That person who just hurt you is actually someone you love and adore, right? Stop, walk away, and remind yourself of LOVE. Sing praises at the well, give thanksgiving, and fight it out in prayer. Return and respond only AFTER you have found your happy place of love. It’s not easy, but it is doable. I have failed more times than I have succeeded, but the times I can respond to hurt from the well of love I experience victory. When you offer love instead of what you think they deserve you will experience the peace of God flood your heart. However, the other person may not choose your love, which takes us to the next point.
2.    Have you ever been hurt by someone’s words or actions? This is typically the result from rejection. Rejection HURTS and hurt people, hurt people. What if hurt people break the cycle (which is personal responsibility) and take their hurt to the well of love? The TRUTH is that God accepts you. You are loved completely by Him. When you are able to truly grasp that God is for you the other person’s acceptance or rejection of you does not have power to harm. What if you allow them to reject you? What if you don’t force them to accept you? What if hearing their heart becomes the relational purpose, not protecting your own heart from their rejection? Victory is experienced when you no longer need to prove your point.
3. How about when someone is intimidating you? I have had lots of intimidators in my life. When I look at the intimidation as fear it changes everything. What drives out fear? Love drives out fear. I am learning to draw boundaries with intimidators, which typically they do not like. This is the place where I soak myself in the well of love and realize submission to intimidation is not love at all. I have had to say hard things like, “I do not appreciate being spoken to that way.” “That feels like manipulation and control.” “I can’t do what you want me to do.” I love the other person as well as myself to speak truth, however, I will not succumb to their pressure. At the well, I learn to listen to the quiet voice of God. There I can regroup and choose God's way instead of pleasing the voice of intimidation. 
4.  What if someone is believing and doing things that are radically different than your beliefs and values? This is difficult to navigate, however victory is summed up in two words - Unconditional Love! Unconditional love is easier said than done, especially if you do life regularly with this person. Points 1, 2 and 3 above are key in living this out. Lots of time spent in the well of love, boundaries and speaking truth in love are the way through. I have heard a lot about “Just believe the best in someone - that will change everything.” But when I know what I know that I know what the other person is doing and it is not for their good, it’s hard to make my mind think the best of that person. However, the Lord switched things up on me recently. He said, “Anne, I know you can’t think the best about what that person is doing right now, because you know exactly what is going on, but you can pray the best for that person.”  Whoa! One word from the Lord can change everything! Sure enough, I ran to the well of Scripture and started praying awesome things for this person. Although I haven’t seen a shift in their focus yet, everything has shifted in me! I found the well of love where my heart is FOR the person again!
5. Ever have someone’s pain bump up against your pain? OUCH! What I have found is that as uncomfortable as someone else’s junk is I need to go to the well of love and search for reasons why their pain brings up my junk! Typically God is using them to refine me. My heavenly Dad loves to bring beauty to my spirit and sometimes he uses painful people to polish my brass (take that however you choose). I’m a cracked vessel in need of healing too. Without your pain I may never have inspected my pain. I can’t own your pain and I cannot fix your pain. But I do want my pain healed. I do choose to walk through this life seeking wholeness. I want to love myself well and with His help I choose to love you the best I can.

As my heart aspires to live a life in the well of love I have found that I am not perfect. However, God says I am beautiful! He says the same about you. He is not looking for perfection; instead He delights in beautiful hearts set on a pilgrimage where love binds us together in perfect unity. He is perfect. He is love. We are invited to the well and that is enough! 

I Believe Art Heals

I believe art heals.
I KNOW art heals.
How do I know this?
Just look at the image above.
It doesn't look like much to you, does it?
Or...maybe it does.
God used this image to heal a 45+ male.
Here's the story.

I was painting in a room with other artists. People come to this place to get prayed for. Most are sick or hurting or hopeless or curious or drawn by some "unknown" reason. They bring their diseases and brokenness to well...broken people who have been filled with love by the Spirit of the Living God. These broken people pray for the broken people and healing happens. I don't understand the exchanges of God but I welcome them. He loves broken people.

I choose to paint with others in the midst of this glorious exchange.

One night I was led to paint a heart. I don't like painting hearts. Everybody can paint hearts. I prefer abstract art. So I did my best to turn it into an abstract heart. I like my art to be void of anything recognizable because it is in the lack of image that meaning is found. Lack of form causes one to slow down, ponder, reflect, gaze, think, listen and hear.

This heart form caused a 45+ broken man to slow down, ponder, reflect, gaze, think, listen and hear.

He shyly stood to the side of the canvas mesmerized. Hesitantly I questioned his interest. His eyes never left the red on white form but slowly words fell out of his mouth.

He stated the obvious at first, "It's a heart."

But then he pressed in closer and pointed to a place at the top right of the heart, "I see my baby."

His words surprised us both. A hush followed. God's Spirit wrapped us in a long silence as we stared at the healing art before us.

I am stilled stunned by the confession that followed.

In the safety of that broken place where people pray and paint he looked me full in the eye and said, "Twenty years ago my baby was aborted."

Water formed on both of our eyes as I asked, "Do you have any idea if it was a girl or boy?"

Immediately he said, "I am almost certain it was a girl."

I asked him, "Did you ever name her?"

"No, I never thought of that." He responded.

Ever so gently I suggested, "Well, you may want to do that. It's powerful when a dad names his child."

The moment ended as he pulled back and said he would but not at this moment. He wasn't ready. He needed space and alone-ness.

I offered the child bearing heart canvas to him as a memorial. He accepted the gift.

I believe art heals. 

I KNOW art heals. 

How do I know this? 

Just look at the image above. 

It doesn't look like much to you does it? 

Or...maybe it does. 

God used this image to heal a 45+ male. 

Warrior Woman

A warrior woman collapsed on the side of the road. She was covered head to toe with sweat and dirt where it gathered into mud in the creases of her furrowed brow. She couldn't take another step forward. She knew she needed to sit, rest and recover. Her breathing slowed and her heart steadied it's pace. A warrior friend came upon her on the road and implored her to get back in the battle. She gave her ammunition and showed her how to use it, but to no avail. The warrior woman had nothing left to give at the moment. Her friend bid her farewell and promised she would be on the front lines on her behalf.

The warrior woman continued to wait. She was still. She lifted her glazed face to the breeze and inhaled deeply. Twenty-four hours passed. Then forty-eight. She knew not what she waited for nor when she would be released from her roadside perch. She continued to exist but didn't strive for more.

Off in the distance she saw a person running into the wind. It was a messenger. In her tightly clasped hand was a paper. She threw herself on the ground next to the warrior woman and uncurled her fingers. No words were exchanged. None were needed. Spread before her was a blueprint stolen from the enemy's camp. Not just any blueprint, but the one showing the enemy commanders snare. She couldn't believe she was seeing the elaborate and deliberate creation of the strongman's deceptive trap. 

Immediately her life flashed before her eyes. She could see how it took years to erect the entrapment. Event upon event, lie upon lie. The enemy used true life happenings and pierced her heart. She had no idea that the small puncture would be all he needed to gain access to wound again and again. It was a wound that became familiar. A wound that grew quietly and so did it's authority and power. With stunning clarity she saw for the first time the chain that bound her to the tower of lies. She realized she wasn't on the side of the road but rather at the top of a tower located in the center of a labyrinth.

Breathless she watched as the chains that bound her fell loudly to the ground. Finally she was free. Never again would she climb the stairs of this place she called home. Her freedom was irrevocable. She felt no shame or condemnation. Her victory had been won. Understanding filled her mind and peace entered her soul while gratitude graced her emotions.

With fresh eyes she looked at the horizon and saw the others fighting for freedom. Her spirit called her forward toward her Beloved. With the blueprint in her pocket, newfound bravery overshadowed her as she ran to join the warriors. She knew she was needed to help free others.

The Scale of Honor

   

What's the opposite of unbelief?

Belief?

Maybe.

Ok. Yes, belief is the opposite of unbelief, but don't let that stop you from reading this post because there's more to it than that.

What if you aren't allowed to remove the pre-fix?

Now, what is the opposite of un-belief?

I find God's Spirit to be amazingly gentle, subtle and in-my-face all at once. When the earth was dark and formless it was His Spirit that hovered over the face of the waters and brought forth light. He separated the water from the land. Even now His Spirit-sword separates my soul and spirit. As He divides, He conquers. It is in this place of His continual welcomed conquest that I find myself with a new lens in which to view all of life.

So what is this newly discovered Truth?

HONOR.

Russell Evans, from Planetshakers City Church in Australia recently described honor as, "Something we place weight upon." Think of a set of scales where valuable coins or jewels are placed on one side. On the other side are feathers. The scale tips in favor of the weight. Honor is something you place value or weight on.

Whatever you place honor on your life follows.

I am learning to believe that I am a writer. As I honor the writer inside of me I find I am a better writer.

I used to believe I wasn't an artist, until God got in my face and hovered over my spirit. It was in that reflection where I realized I was not honoring HIM whenever I didn't honor what He created me to do.

What has He created you to do? What brings you joy in the doing? Can you begin to believe in the value of what you do? Why not place that thing you do on the scale of honor?

Honor fills the void where un-belief resided. When honor is honored beauty flows.

It's time for you to see your beautiful reflection upon the waters of honor.