Click HERE for this week’s reading assignment.  

I have a confession to make.  My life is not perfect.  I’m disappointed, saddened, and often angry at the events that mark my past and present.   Things happened to me and by me that I cannot change.  I find myself at a ‘cross’roads’.  I have a choice to make: Do I let those events in my past define me and color the present I am living?  Or do I confess my past and my present, give it to the One who truly loves me and live a future in Freedom and Purpose?

If I confess my hurts, my mistakes, my willful wrong choices, what will people think of me?  I buried those things in my past so far down, no one will ever know they are there.  If I just keep quiet, I can carry these hurts, deeply buried, to my grave and no one will ever know.  But….I know…and God knows…and deep down inside those “secrets” are festering and poisoning my heart and I really just need to dig them out.  NOW, please.

There is a part of me that screams, “What good could possibly come from dragging up the past?”  And then quieter, “Leave it buried.”  “You really don’t want to live through that again, do you?”   And then there is the part of me that says, (Quieter) “You probably don’t want to say that at church.  What if the Pastor finds out?”   “You really shouldn’t write that in your blog.  What if you disappoint readers or lead a bad example?”  “If you let people see that part of you, you will be left alone…again.”  Do you recognize these voices?  Do you hear the whispered hisses?

As we have been traveling together through this book, we have learned so much.  Since Lisa is using sword analogies, we have a visual representation of our cross in our hands.  Our sword, when stuck in the ground, is a cross.  Our sword, when held in the air…is still a cross.

It has been said that the cross is a bridge.  The cross of Jesus bridges the gap between our sinful nature and the perfect, Holy God.  It has also been said that sin entered the world by a beautiful, fruit-filled tree, and on the ragged, bark-stripped cross, Jesus made the perfect provision for us to be made whole.  As Lisa says, “Just as Adam stole the fruit of a forbidden tree and caused all within him to die, Jesus died on a barren tree and thus became its fruit that all in him might live.” (p. 64).  You and I are part of the fruit of Adam, and if we accept Jesus’ gift on the cross, we are His fruit as well.

Because we are Adam’s fruit we have a sinful, hurtful part of us.  We hurt people.   Many of you sisters have been hurt.  Your hurt is holding you back from the freedom and abundant life Jesus Christ has to offer.  Many of us have been taught to be ashamed, afraid and silent.  We bear many burdens in silence, never letting anyone in to walk alongside us.  We are lonely.  I was lonely.   That woman next door, she is lonely too.  What if we no longer wanted to be lonely?  Could we just get together, talk and share our stories?

That sounds risky, doesn’t it?   I’m at a crossroads.  I can make the decision NOT to live in fear, shame and disappointment.  I can make the choice to REACH OUT to that woman and listen to her story.  Maybe I will even share my story.  Maybe our stories will meld together, we will strengthen each other, we will forge a bond that is not easily broken and we will no longer be alone.   We will be ONE  and an answer to Jesus’ prayer.

My sWord says this in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron,  so one person sharpens another.”  I want to be sharp, useful and productive.  I am created for a purpose.  My story, when shared with another person, could be a life-changer, a world-changer.

I am not that person I used to be.  You are not that person you used to be.  Those people (back there in the past) made us who we are today, though, and we have to look at ourselves and see if we are who God made us to be.  I have a choice to make.  I think I’ll take out my sWord and see what wisdom I can find to lead me as I choose the path that leads to freedom in Christ.

Solomon, the wise man, found himself at a crossroad.  God made an offer to Solomon and He makes the same offer to you. What would your heart’s desire be?  Would you choose riches, fame, beauty, intelligence, a good job, a good-looking husband, a house full of kids?  The Bible says Solomon asked for wisdom to be able to do God’s will for His people.  Got granted him wisdom and then added riches, fame, beauty, intelligence, a kingdom, lots of wives and kids.  Only God would do something so extravagant as that!

When Solomon’s life was nearing its end, he looked back over all he had, the choices he made, the things he had done and he was disappointed.  The wisest man who ever lived was blessed abundantly by God and found that it is all meaningless without a relationship with the God of Heaven.

Ecclesiastes 8:9-13

I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other…. When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.  But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. 

Solomon began to dig into his life experiences, uncover the meaningless parts that stood between him and the life God wanted for him.  Solomon could have left us with the book of Proverbs and we would have thought he was quite profound and wise.   Why did he write Ecclesiastes?  Solomon had a story to tell.  He needed to share with us what he learned so we could walk an easier path if we choose to.

If you are one of those sisters with buried secrets, living in shame and regret, you are at a crossroads.  One path leads to a familiar place…loneliness, embarrassment, shame, pride, just getting by.  The other path leads somewhere new and a little scary.  This path makes me feel vulnerable and shaken.  This path requires me to walk one step at a time lighted by faith, trust, hope and love.  This path binds me to other travelers who are ready and willing to share their life story with me.  I do not have to walk alone.

I don’t know about you, but I want to RISE when He calls my name.  I want to lay down all the sorrow and shame, lies and pain.  I want to follow Him!  I want to pick up a sister along the way and take her with me.

Let’s Pray:

Father, Thank YOU for the cross.  Father, give us strength to choose our cross and to follow You.  Give us a willingness to share our stories with our sisters.  Let those hurts, those wounds be used by You to bring healing to our hearts, Lord , and to free us from the shame that has held us captive for so long.  We want to RISE when You call us.  Thank You for wanting us.  We are not alone.  Never Alone.    AMEN

If you would like to join us for the “Girls with Swords” Online Bible/Book study, click HERE to be taken to our sign-up page.  Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details.  We hope you will join us!