Journey Day 194

"People are tenacious when it comes to the treasure of their imaginary independence. They hoard and hold their sickness with a firm grip. They find their identity and worth in their brokenness and guard it with every ounce of strength they have. No wonder grace has such little attraction. In that sense you have tried to lock the door of your heart from the inside." "But I didn't succeed." "That's because my love is a lot bigger than your stupidity," Papa said with a wink. "I used your choices to work perfectly into my purposes. There are many folk like you, Mackenzie, who end up locking themselves into a very small place with a monster that will ultimately betray them, that will not fill or deliver what they thought it would. Imprisoned with such a terror, they once again have the opportunity to return to me. The very treasure they trusted in will become their undoing." "So you used pain to force people back to you?" ...."True love never forces." - THE SHACK

We so badly want to hold onto the thing that is so bad for us. The pain caused by a bad job, or an unhealthy relationship. The wounds that were caused so long ago, or even recently. We hang onto it and let it hurt us because we think that by remembering our pain we are building a wall around us so that eventually we won't hurt anymore. We think that we have made too many bad choices, or the bad choices we made have put us completely out of the will of God. But God's love IS bigger than our dumb choices, He uses every choice we make to work into His purpose for our life. All we have to do is break down our walls and trust that God is going to use the things that hurt us to make us into who He wants us to be. But he won't force us because, 'true love never forces.' We have to allow Him to break down our walls of pain so that we can let the savior of our souls in. We trust that our walls will protect, but in the end they ruin us. I know that I have built up walls, but slowly God is breaking them down and showing me that He will use even my worst choice to bring me close to Him, and to fulfill His purposes. What a comfort to know that God will use my choices, whether they be bad or good, to work perfectly into His will. And you know what? God will do the same for you! Break down your walls, and feel God's love, because He can break through our highest and thickest walls.