Digging Deep

I never know how a therapeutic technique will translate from my mind to a life-changing experience that the Holy Spirit can use to bring about new life. This week, we are wrapping up a month-long dive into learning about forgiveness. Within the past few weeks, we have navigated many lessons, including what forgiveness is, what to do when you are not ready to let go, how to approach the topic of setting someone free when you desire justice, and so much more. Our students and staff have struggled through the curriculum and faced many areas of their lives that, in theory, were fine and dandy buried under the dirt. Today, God decided to bring some of those issues to the surface not to evoke pain but to incite healing. During IOP this morning, patients were divided into two groups: women and men. Beginning with the women, each individual gathered in a group around a pool of smelly dirt. Patients were told the pool of dirt represented their hearts. That somewhere buried in the filth was an item they would have to find. Depending on the item they found, the WOC staff had been praying and believing that God would partner with us and take over the activity to illuminate an area of their lives that needed healing, exposure, or where forgiveness needed to be pursued.

MOREOVER, GOD DID JUST THAT! After a few moments of prayer, each patient dug deep into the dirt and filth to find the item God purposed for them. Not once did the item not have a specific or unique meaning to their personal situations. Some participants were in total disbelief that they would pull the object they did. Others were angry, others heartbroken, and some encouraged. No matter what the specific response or story, God did not forget even one person...even me. We loaded the dirt into my truck for me to take home. I promised the patients that new life would come from their brokenness and deep dive into pain. I planned to plant flowers in the dirt in my yard. There was one item left in the dirt: a New Testament bible. The funny thing is, as we were standing there and I watched God minister to each person who dug into the dirt, I thought to myself, I wish someone would have done this for me.

I wish God cared about me enough to dig through my dirt and bring me hope. As I dug through the dirt to plant the flowers I had promised, there was that bible. A PROMISE STEADFAST AND TRUE. The ultimate love letter left in the dirt for me. What a wonderful God we serve. What work do you need to do today? Are there things you have buried that God is trying to bring to the surface? Things that need to be healed, things that need to be thrown out, or things that need a fresh wind of change. Partner with God today; don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. He makes all things new! He is trustworthy! Do your work! New life cannot grow in soil filled with junk!

Christa-