I originally published this Post April 20, 2015. It’s amazing how God uses words He gave me long ago, through other situations, to encourage me inside current circumstances. Facebook notified me about this post through a memory. When I read it, I felt compelled to share it again. If you’ve never read this before and have difficulty filtering emotional feelings, which threaten to hold you back, you might want to give this a read. If you’ve been a long time reader of my blog and have already read the article, maybe you would like to read it again. It might encourage you in a different way through a new season of life.

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I’ve had all the feelings recently. ALL. THE. FEELINGS.

I often say feelings are dangerous because if they aren’t connected with truth, and are instead overrun by unhealthy emotion, then they can lead us to scary places that are not where God would have us reside. He would rather us live overwhelmed in the truth of who He is, filtering our feelings through His grace.

In my mind, I see myself standing over a kitchen sink. I’m holding a colander, allowing excess liquid to drain. Everything remaining inside is whole and safe to consume. What isn’t healthy or palatable desperately needs filtered until it all finally trickles out. The brokenness of one’s heart can easily become laden with excess feelings. Make no mistake about it, brokenness has the ability to become beautiful, but it’s only possible when we find ourselves reaching further towards the Mender of our shattered pieces, and that often requires a  special kind of sifting.

He overflows mercy as He works deeply inside broken spaces, pouring excess love through the in between time where brokenness and wholeness meet. However, when we allow the beautiful overflow of the Healer’s love to mingle with the unfiltered lies of unhealthy feelings, the bridge between broken and whole becomes a much longer journey.

When we accept unhealthy feelings we reject pliability. In actuality, we are only  prolonging the Healers’ hand in shaping us throughout our desperate situation. I don’t believe He withholds His healing hand from us. When it comes to emotional healing, I believe we, unknowingly, push it away.  We are often so caught up in our pain, we begin to carry bitterness and heart wrenching condemnation. We cannot see clearly, nor can we understand the delay in progress.

Uncloak my eyes, Lord. Let me see Your truth, and help me filter feelings refusing to stand upon it.

I’m convinced the bridge from broken to whole is held by a thread. I imagine it as one of those bridges pictured in movies, located in the middle of a jungle somewhere. It consists of little, wooden slats with ropes on either side. It hangs high in the air, threatening to collapse under almost any capacity of weight. And we still insist trekking across it gripping a million pounds of excess baggage. We want to reach the other side without stopping to throw away what’s holding us back. At some point, there’s realization that the only way to truly welcome the wholeness of God is to toss all those unfiltered feelings over the sides of the wonky bridge. There’s something fulfilling about watching hurt and pain crash to the depths. It satisfies the soul allowing us to fully give Jesus everything.

I don’t know what might be holding you back today. In my own life, I’m battling many weighty issues and Christ is saying, “If you truly trust me you’ll toss the weight of suffering over the bridge and let Me catch it. You’ll filter lies and cling to My truth.” He can handle the weight of every burden. Our souls weren’t built to transport that kind of heavy.

Bottom line: I need to let Christ work deeply within my broken places.

You’ve probably heard me say many times over that I’m a visual learner. And if not, I’m sure you’ve already gathered it from this post. I’m a creative, and I often see the world as cinematography. It’s full of beautiful stories, and I have hope in my heart that every precious picture, turned plotline, will somehow echo the name of Jesus. I want wholeness to become the reality of every beating heart. More than that, I want us all to truly understand where wholeness is birthed.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? ² My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

-Psalm 121:1-2

If you are caught in a web of emotions making you feel hurt, suffocated, and alone in the world, then I want you to picture yourself walking that rickety bridge between broken and whole. See yourself throwing the heavy weights of soul-killing emotions over the sides. In your mind, send it plummeting. And, while you’re at it, keep saying the name of Jesus until you hear it echo through the in between places. It won’t be easy. In fact, It will probably be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. Do it anyway.

Friend, if you believe in the name of Jesus and everything He is, then you are trading your will for His. And that means regardless of how slow the progress, you are already crossing the bridge. He is holding you up guiding each step. As you begin to lift the heavy baggage in hopes to throw it into the pit, He’s the strength in your arms helping propel it far from your life. He’s freeing you. And while you’re working to filter all those pieces making the tossing possible, embrace learning from Him in the place you’re at right now. It’s never for nothing.

Feelings aren’t all bad, it’s the way we filter them that makes the difference.

I’m praying for you today!

Love,