Spirituality

Is your back smack up against the wall? You can go no further and you’re feeling trapped. You feel like there is no way out of your dilemma with no one to help you. You’ve tried everything within your power and now you’re desperate.

Whom can you turn to now? Maybe you’ve heard of God doing miraculous things for certain people, but you’re not sure about all that. It all could have been coincidence, the medicine, or lucky circumstances that made those things come to pass for others. It could also be that those who experienced such wild-sounding claims were “good.” You may even be saying to yourself that you do not deserve any favors from God. Why would He reach down and bother to help you?

Let’s imagine standing up against a wall. Your heels and shoulders are touching it. It feels rough to the touch and you’re feeling confined, don’t you? I remember a story my hubby told me once. Jack is a great baseball fan and follows everyone and everything about it. You might say he is an expert on baseball and all its great characters. Ted Williams in his coaching career was teaching a rookie how not to stand when at bat. The young man for some reason did not swing wide and consequently did not get any hits on base. Williams had him stand right up against a wall. He then shouted at him: “Swing!” The young man was dumbfounded, staring at his coach as if with a gigantic question mark on his forehead. “That’s right; you can’t swing, can you,” was Mantle’s answer to his curious look. “Well, the coach continued, why is your stance at the plate as if you’ve got a wall stuck to your backside?”

The message may be to hang loose, relax, and swing freely. That sounds easy, but how do you do it? Let’s have a look at what the Word of God has to say. Would you agree with me that it’s good to go directly to the source rather than rely on your own thoughts and opinions? Proverbs 3: 5-6 tells us to trust the Lord with all our heart. If you do not lean on your own understanding, but in all ways acknowledge Him, He will direct your path. In Psalm 18:29 David tells us that by Him he had run through a troop; and leaped over a wall.” David loved his God and relied on Him completely. If he could leap over his wall, do you think that you will be able to take a step away from your wall? It takes one tiny step of faith at a time. With each tiny step our faith and trust build up.

Be encouraged. Walls can be self-made, forced on us through ineptitude or carelessness on the part of others, or pop up from nowhere. It does not matter what your wall is made of, or who erected it. The important thing is not to look back at the wall and try and force it out of the way. It is rigid. It will not move. The wall represents the hard reality of the pain, grief or circumstances in your life. It’s there; you cannot do anything about that! But, if you look up, square your shoulders and determine to go forward – one tiny step at a time - your wall will back off! Focus on your Healer, Deliverer, and Provider. He not only has the answer, He will fill you with joy. That is power! You’ll be free to swing again and hit homeruns!

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