8/3/11

Are You A Rapunzel?



Just the other day...a friend asked me to speak on the topic of  'teenage depression and suicide' at a youth rally. She knew that I had a degree in counseling, so she thought the topic and I were a fit. What she didn't know was that I went through a serious time of depression during my sophomore year of high school. Actually, I've only talked about that time in my life with a few people. My own husband had not even heard about my struggle.

I have told the Lord, "My life is Yours, use it as You see fit." And, He is "seeing fit" to use things I haven't thought about in years! Two or three years ago, I would have taught such a class, but I'm not so sure I would have shared my own experience. See...what I'm learning is this...fear and pride keeps our stories locked away. Think: Rapunzel in her tower...her beauty hidden, out of sight, no good to anyone. When fear and pride have their way, or...let's be clear here...when satan has his way...our testimony of the goodness of God in our lives never comes to light. Sure, it warms our hearts. Sure, we personally rejoice in what the Lord has done. But what if we actually died to our fear and let go of pride, so that others could benefit as well? What if we all got to the point that we simply couldn't keep quiet about what He has done?! Imagine the glory and fame and honor Christ would receive! Imagine a life or lives being changed because you decided that fear was not going to get the upper hand.

I stood before those teens recently and said, "I know God has orchestrated this for someone...because only a handful of people know what I went through. Only He knows that this is a topic near and dear to me." I confidently shared my story before them because, while it might not have been for everyone, what this blog has taught me is this: it IS meant for someone! I may not get tons of blog comments, but I have gotten phone calls, or I've had people stop me and say, "You shared so-and-so just for me." And seriously, all of this has taught me to never be impressed by the numbers. The number of people commenting on something you have written, or the number of people patting you on the back after sharing, really means nothing. What does mean a great deal is this: when God asks, you obey!!! Obedience to Christ always equals success. Always. God knows the exact people who need to hear your stories and you can be sure, He will make sure you are heard (or...ya know...read). Never let fear keep you trapped! People are lonely and hurting and they need to be able to be able bask in the beauty of what God has done in your life.

Fight the temptation to be a Rapunzel!

"You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house."
Matthew 5:14

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What an honor to be featured by Angela today!