Shaped by Faith

Theft and Restoration; An Inside Job

The slightly muddy imprints on the driveway caused my husband concern. “Honey, did those men today walk into the garage or simply walk up to the porch?” I said, “Why do you ask?” “These footprints going into the garage weren’t here when we left for dinner!” My husband’s words set the hair on the back of my neck to “high alert” and the rest of me scurrying to my husband. The odd visit by two strangers earlier in the day, coupled with the footprints, set our security inspection in motion. We checked every nook in the house big enough to hide Tinker Bell. Upon our return to the garage, my husband realized his outdoor tennis shoes were the exact size of the footprints on the drive. The discovery triggered his memory and he said, “Wait a minute, I had to move the car this morning while it was raining, those are my footprints.” Wow, another case solved by the Over-reactive Detective Agency.

While there are many legitimate external issues attempting to steal our peace, it is the internal spiritual issues which can separate us from true whole person wellness. That’s why my Tuesday night Total Body Challenge class is always such a special pleasure. Looking around the gym this particular night there were close to a 100 people ready for a physical and spiritual workout. The atmosphere was different, I felt complete freedom and peace as I instructed and encouraged the students. While there were several new faces learning the system, the more seasoned students were pushing themselves to new limits as they rotated stations. As I continued speaking the Word, the students’ expressions let me know they were hearing and being fed by the Word of God. It was an invigorating mountaintop experience and I was glad hearted.

As I made my way to the walking lunge station giving alignment cues, while reminding everyone to stand tall, a student in the class approached me. Anticipating a request for a substitute exercise, I began mentally readying a list of possible replacement options. The question caught me completely off guard and had nothing to do with a replacement exercise.  The question, almost a comment, was personal and hurtful. I tried to answer impersonally and carefully. I wanted to say more, a lot more, but thank goodness it was time to announce the change of station. Before, this kind of comment would have crushed me for weeks, maybe even months. Even with that said, I probably could have handled it a little differently, mentioning how God says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, but that didn’t happen until a few days later. The comment stole my thoughts for a few days but God’s restoration of joy made the event forgettable.

Let me back up a few months and explain. In my daily prayer time with God, I asked Him to reach inside and remove anything that was hindering my relationship with Him. I asked Him to show me how to rid myself of the daily duo of “rejection and abandonment.” These two were manifesting themselves daily and disrupting my life. I was sick and tired of those feelings and I said, “Enough is enough!” He began to show me that my biggest obstacle was my heart, not physically, but spiritually. As God opened up more of my heart I began to experience small victories. Pressing closer to Him, He pressed closer to me.

After much prayer and spiritual counsel the decision was made to remove these obstacles once and for all. Determining the root cause for rejection and abandonment pushed me to make an appointment with Sozo of Madisonville. Sozo is the Greek word translated “saved, healed, delivered.” Sozo ministry is a unique inner healing and deliverance ministry designed to get to the root of things hindering your personal connection to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With a healed connection, you can walk in the destiny you have been called.

My Sozo session was conducted by two ladies, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, they walked me through the process of freedom and wholeness. The inner healing session took me back to my mother’s womb and God explained the origin of my issues. She had felt alone, abandoned and rejected. She passed on the issues to me. Jesus was there for her but her heart could not feel His presence. As a young 16 year old in a cold uninspiring hospital room with no one offering words of encouragement, it would have been difficult to understand that God loves you and you are not alone.

Knowing Jesus was there comforting my Mom I began to feel the lies of rejection and abandonment being uprooted from my heart. God’s love came flowing in and overfilling my heart. For the first time I experienced God as my daddy, Father God. Instead of simply pressing towards God, I climbed up in His lap and He wrapped His arms around me and we hugged for a long, long time.

It all makes sense to me now. The enemy tried to come and steal God’s love while I was still in my mother’s womb. I am now free to love and free to be who God has called me to be. That night changed my life forever because He gave me the greatest gift; to love Him and love His people, even the difficult ones.

By the way, the person who made the comment in the class, I’ve forgiven them. You know you’re free from something when you think of the person and feel no pain or hurt.

So, if something is missing or hindering you from reaching that special place with God, unlock your heart and enjoy the freedom of God’s perfect love. In 1 John 4:19 we read “We love because He first loved us.” Sounds like an inside job to me.

Theresa Rowe is a faith-based wellness coach for Owensboro Christian Church, author, motivational speaker and radio guest on 94.7 WBIO and 1490 WOMI with Joe Lowe each Friday morning. She is also a writer for Christian Military Wives Magazine, Wives in Bloom and Fit Christian Magazine. Visit her online at www.shapedbyfaith.com.