PUT DOWN THE POLE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Ten Boom once remarked…

“God takes our sins – the past, present, and future, and dumps them in the sea and puts up a sign that says NO FISHING ALLOWED.”

No fishing allowed…

I have never been a fisherman.  

In fact I don’t think I can recall a time I have been fishing. Maybe I tagged along with a friend once or twice but fishing wasn’t my “thing”.  My dad was a golfer so that is what we did. And even though my little time in the dark took most of my game with it, I do still enjoy a round of golf. 

But fishing?  Just not my cup o’ tea.

But I do spend time with a lot of “fishermen/women”; folks who keep going back to that “sea” with pole in hand.

Just late yesterday I had an hour break in between presentations and I went to McDonalds for a sweet tea and what I thought would be a little breather. 

The LORD had other plans. 

McDonalds must be hosting recovery meetings these days for there were at least a half a dozen of my recovery friends hanging out having ice cream and/or dinner.  So one of my long-time friends saddled up across from me in the booth and began to do like she usually does, give me the “full report”.

I do love this woman.  She is a battler.  And she is on an upswing right now so instead of running the other way when she saw me as she often has done she was excited to share her progress.

And I will admit I enjoy hearing THOSE stories!

But after a minute or two she shared that she was again at a challenging crossroad in her recovery, STEP 4.

Step 4 - Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself.

She was getting ready to try STEP 4 again for maybe the 400^th time and she was nervous.  This is her perceived “ceiling”, the proverbial “hump” she can’t get over. 

You may be asking why.  

Well her past is in a word, TRAUMATIC.

She was sold at 9 to a drug dealer for his entertainment.

She was sold into prostitution.

She was introduced to drugs and crime by her mother.

She has an addicted daughter.

She has been incarcerated multiple times, homeless multiple times and is still on probation.

Her past still haunts her and STEP 4 asks that she WADE back into that.

And while she is a believer she has yet to embrace that GOD HAS ALREADY dumped all of that into the sea; that this Step 4 isn’t about fishing but embracing GOD’S “FINISHING”.

…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 (NIV)

She hasn’t quite realized that by taking the inventory of her past and putting it up against the redeeming and perfect GRACE of the Father removes its power and diffuses its grip!

…if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. – 1 John 1:9 (MSG)

So I encouraged her to do just that!

But I don’t think she is alone.  

I too have “past moments” that I KNOW the LORD has already forgiven spring up from time to time and try to re-haunt or derail me.  I have to remind myself that my FORGETFUL Father has already FREED me from that stuff. (…if the Son makes you free, you ARE really free. John 8:36 ERV)

I believe we ALL might need to listen to Ten Boom today. 

Let’s quickly confess and dump all of that PAST into the GOD’S SEA of FORGIVENESS and FORGETFULNESS and put down our fishing poles.

Have a BLESSED weekend.

I love you all!

Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)