My teeth wouldn’t quit chattering as the cold seeped into every ounce of my being. I longed for some kind of warmth to take over.
I was no stranger to cold but this deep kind of cold seemed to completely overtake me.
I cranked up the water’s heat knowing it would relieve the pain I was feeling.
As I slipped in under the running water and the heat ran over my head the pain intensified. Sharp pins and needles pricked me everywhere the water’s heat touched me. The feeling in my body was coming back.
Waves of warmth started to flow over me and crack open the frozen places. The pain was starting to subside.
The quivering mess that had stepped into the shower was now basking in the warmth. Soaking it all in as the iciness retreated.
Have you ever felt that kind of deep cold? The kind you can’t seem to shake. Not just the physical cold, but frozen places of our soul. Places we have lost feeling to long ago.
It can seem so easy to leave the frozen places iced over. Not letting the warmth of Jesus thaw those hidden hurts. Those broken pieces of our lives we so desperately want to sweep under the rug.
But…if we want to fully live the abundant life Jesus has for us we must be brave! We need to grab hold of the warrior He has placed in each of us and dig into the frozen recesses of our pain.
[Tweet “The abundant life we seek is found as we walk, hand in hand with Jesus, through the pain.”]
We must be willing to go to battle to reclaim the ground the enemy has tried to steal from us!
In the past, I wanted to keep those places frozen and walled off. Life seemed easier that way. The truth is it wasn’t! It was simply a colder, darker, lonelier existence.
Even if we believe we can’t feel the pain it still has a way of sneaking into every facet of our life. How we relate to people. The ways in which we react to situations. The nagging fear someone will see what we’ve tried to keep hidden.
Just as the water stung a little, as it dealt with my frozen skin, we need to trust Jesus as He deals with the pain we’ve tried to keep below the surface as well.
He is more than ready to gently ease away the cold, dark hurts. True, we’re going to feel the pain again but we need to get the feeling back in order to live fully. Along with the feeling coming back, so will the warmth.
We can trust our Heavenly Father not to leave us in the pain if we invite Him in to walk through it with us.
Come with me as we dig deep to find the courage only the Holy Spirit can provide. Trusting He will shake loose the frozen pieces of our soul.
What is one way you’ll commit to live fully as the warrior He’s called you to be this week? Comment below and let’s help each other live abundantly!
I’m sharing this post with several other blogger’s at these Faith Linkups. I encourage you to check them out. If this post resonates with you and feel it would help others please feel free to share. Easy to share buttons below. ~Laura~
Laura,
Praise that the Lord promises to walk with us THROUGH the valley…He will not leave us stuck there. And though weeping may endure for the night (there may be pain in the struggle) joy WILL come in the morning. Thank you for this encouraging word here this morning!
Blessings,
Bev
Glad it encouraged you Bev. Blessings!
I love your reminder at the end of the post that the authentic Christian life is best lived in community! So important for us to hold one another accountable and to be safe people who encourage one another in our transparency!
I agree Michele, it’s so important to hold each up and encourage. Blessings to you!
Hi Laura! Amen to this: “…we need to trust Jesus as He deals with the pain we’ve tried to keep below the surface as well.” It is so true. We serve a faithful, faithful God. Visiting via #testimonyTuesday.
I’m so grateful we serve a faithful God! Amen
Oh, how I know that feeling! Pain is not a bad thing, I wish that our society would stop telling us that it is! God can transform our pain into beauty, so long as we are brave enough to face it and trust Him to do it. Love you girl!
I completely agree Sarah! Pain is an indicator of area we need to address. I love Lysa Terkeurst’s quote “We must feel the pain to heal the pain.”
“We must be willing to go to battle to reclaim the ground the enemy has tried to steal from us!” This is so true. It takes a willingness that only comes from the strength we have in Christ. But He will be with us in the battle. Thank you for this beautiful reminder, Laura!
Nicole, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. So grateful He gives us the strength to put on our armor and go into battle! Thanks for stopping by.
“frozen recesses of pain”. Everyone has them. I have pain, you have pain. What do we do with our pain? What do we do with others’ pain? We can coddle the pain, keep it hidden, keep it “safe”….but that is not healing. Letting that warmth of God’s nurturing love transform the icy pain into life-giving warmth, even little by little, – that is what heals.
So true Anne! What stays hidden doesn’t heal.Thanks so much for your encouragement! Blessings friend.
Hi, Laura! I appreciated your post today. I have written much on this very topic – since I’ve had to live it – and I am still living it out! I have chosen to feature your post on Grace and Truth this week. Please pop by my site tomorrow and get your “I was featured” button. Also – your link to the link-ups page doesn’t seem to be working:(
Thanks for sharing on Grace and Truth.
Thank you very much Aimee! It’s my passion for people to understand the the freedom found in Christ and His redeeming grace. I’m so excited to be featured at your site. I appreciate the heads up on the link as well. I believe I got it fixed. Thanks!
“be willing to go to battle to reclaim the ground the enemy has tried to steal from us!” This goes perfectly with that verse!
That sure IS what the enemy does. He is a thief. And though I sometimes just feel too weary to do battle, God calls me to be vigilant, to be on my guard. God does not want us to just give in to the devil and let him steal from us. He gives us the authority through His word and the Name of Jesus. When we feel like we are freezing over, we need to step into the warm shower of His Word and let it thaw us out again and bring warmth and joy to our souls.
I feel very weary at times as well but you’re so right, God calls us to be on guard. So grateful for the authority He has given us. Thanks for visiting.
I still fight myself to stop feeling horrorized as I have to face an anxiety attack and feel the pain of desperation, hopelessness and all it brings. I know I must be a warrior and fight but I dont know how and it makes me more scared. This post made me remember God is still with me, so I will keep on holding.
Flor, I’m so glad this helps remind you God is still with you and to keep holding on. Father God, I ask that you wrap Flor in your loving embrace and be near at all times. In Jesus name, amen. I will be continuing to pray for you! Blessings and peace.
Beautifully written, graciously expressed. Thank you for being transparent about the initial pain of thawing out, and calling upon the warrior spirit within. Your reminder and encouragement are blessings!
Thank you very much Alice. I really appreciate the encouragement and glad you found it as well. Blessings!