I was emerged in the freedom of my cherished exercise routine. Adding extra joy, my son was calling to check up on me; and I proudly reported that I was in the groove of walking backward and beginning to feel my plantar facciitis subsiding. Observing someone stopped on the sidewalk ahead of me, I turned forward to pass. However, this person was not about to let me pass by without stopping me, dead in my track, and severely chastising me for walking backwards.
Through my earbuds, Beamer inquired what on earth was going on. I answered I was catching hell from a stranger. Cutting her rampage short, I politely (and believe me this was forced) thanked he for her thoughts and moved on.
I left that lady in my dust, but the verbal attack was not easy for me to dismiss. I felt hurt and unfairly attacked. Why was this my reaction? I knew that woman was wrong, and I was doing what I needed to do to help heal an injury and keep physically healthy. Still, I was wounded for no legitimate reason at all. Thus, I turned to God and asked why this so bothered me. Why couldn’t I just let it go? Herein, rests the message of this blog.
With understanding, yet also convicting me, I felt God say that I had fallen into the snare of living under the doubt of human standing instead of kneeling in the conviction of divine confidence.
Does it really matter what an uniformed outsiders judgment of me is? No, it does not. However, I let my human weakness of wanting my earthly steps to please others overpower my delight in joyfully walking with God — both forward and backward. My focus was stuck on worldly judgment when it belongs glued to heaven’s acquitting grace. Oh, if we all could only break the chains of giving credence to ones who have no meaning, power or purpose in our lives.
Truly, I believe God communicated one additional truth to me on this matter. As God’s message ended, He placed the wire cutters needed to break the chains entrapping me into my hands. His message I fully understood. I (no one else, not even God) must be the one to choose to break these chains. Yes, God can encourage and empower me; but I, alone, must decide to free myself. Praise God from whom all belssings flow, my decision is made. I am free!!!
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 