Invited to Intimacy
TRACEY MITCHELL
Listen to this devotion
“He
lifted me out of the pit of destruction, out of the sticky mud. He
stood me on a rock and made my feet steady.” Psalm 40:2 (NCV)
After
a busy and exhausting travel day, I needed rest and wanted space. So, I
prayed whoever reserved the seat next to mine would be a no-show.
Then, in walked a young woman wearing ripped jeans and a charcoal gray hoodie.
Down the aisle she came before stopping at my row. “Excuse me. I’m 15A.”
She
was tall, thin and looked like a model. Although she tried to get
comfortable, her long legs didn’t quite fit into the tiny space between
seats. In fact, nothing about her seemed comfortable. Not just the
limited room, but how she stared out the window, fingers fidgeting.
There was something somber, almost dark, about her countenance.
Halfway
into our travels, I noticed tears sliding down her cheeks. I could tell
by how she flung them away they weren’t just sad tears, but bitter
ones. As hard as I’d prayed for her to be a no-show, I now prayed even
harder for God to give me an opportunity to reach her wounded soul.
Her
name was Amber. Before long, I knew her story, too. Amber was returning
from visiting her father at NJSP. I asked about the acronym, and she
spelled it out: New Jersey State Prison. He was an LWOP, she said, which
she explained means life without possibility of parole. She told me his
crime: murder. In fact, at age 8, Amber watched him murder her mother.
Family
tried to convince Amber it was an accident, a drunken fight out of
control, but she was still unsure how it all unraveled. What she did
know was that after her mother’s brutal death and father’s
incarceration, life didn’t get any better. Her uncles sexually abused
her for years. As a preteen, she was taken to hotels and sold for sexual
favors.
Two hours into her story, Amber gently asked, “Why do I
feel these horrible things are my fault? I try to push back the
memories, but they keep replaying in my mind.”
As we neared our
destination, I began to share how God longed to knit her heart back
together. I lovingly shared about a heavenly Father who would never
leave, never abandon, never abuse His daughter. She seemed to relax. I
could tell the Holy Spirit was setting her free, like a cork released
from a bottle.
I shared how God didn’t breathe life into us to
let us be swallowed up by its tragedies. No, He gave us life because He
loves us and has never stopped thinking about us.
We’re reminded
of this truth in today’s key verse: “He lifted me out of the pit of
destruction, out of the sticky mud. He stood me on a rock and made my
feet steady” (Psalm 40:2).
As I continued sharing, her bitter
tears turned into being-made-better tears. The Father was embracing His
daughter, and she was responding to His love.
Have you ever felt
like falling at Jesus’ feet and blurting out your story? Every time I
hear a story like Amber’s, I want to stand up and shout, “I’ve got
issues, too!”
In my own prayer times, I’ve blurted out things
bothering me, hoping I didn’t make God blush. I’ve asked Him for
miracles while crossing my fingers, hoping He wouldn’t bring up my
mistakes. I’ve talked about dreams and droned on about my doubts. I’m
sure I haven’t been the easiest daughter to deal with, as in some ways
we’re all a little challenging.
But here’s the beautiful thing:
In all of our time together, I’ve never had my Father get up and walk
out of the room. Not once. He stays around until my issues are resolved
or until my feelings about them are replaced with His peace.
(Philippians 4:7) For that, I’m incredibly grateful!
Heavenly
Father, thank You that I’m no longer stuck in the pit of pain and
heartache. Today is my day to walk away from grief and defeat — into a
place of victory. I believe there are good things in my future. I trust
You to replace discouragement with hope and heartache with joy. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.