“Awake, O sleeper
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5:14
This story is a vision the Lord gave me while I was at Training Camp. Now there is two ways that you could focus on this story while you read it. One, you could focus on the little girl. Honestly if you do that you would miss the whole point of the story. You see everybody has a story. Everybody has a past. Everybody has been hurt one way or the other. Nothing is new under the sun. (Not to downplay anyone’s testimony or past hurts because, trust me, I understand that those are real!) But the real focus in this story (and what should be the real focus of every story) is the heart and power of Jesus. So as you read this story focus on Jesus’ heart, His tenderness, His emotion for His children, and His love and you will get the intent of this story.
A little girl sat with her knees pulled into her chest and her face buried in her knees. Big puddles began to form around her as huge tears fell from her cheeks to the ground. She felt all alone in that dark, cold closet. But she wasn’t. As the darkness closed in around her and was working at totally consuming her, Jesus sat beside her…and He was weeping. He stroked her hair and spoke tenderly to her. “I’m here. You are not alone. Come to me and we can walk through this together.” The darkness spoke with a counter argument, “This pain that you feel. This memory that you have of hurt and pain…we can take that away. You would never have to feel this way again. No one would ever have access to hurt you again and we could help you never remember this moment ever.” The latter offer was received and that day the emotions and memory of a little girl died.
The little girl grew up. She learned to live in herself, of herself, and by herself. Jesus relentlessly pursued her. He was there in the good times…and He wept because she could not fully experience them because a part of her was dead. He was with her in the hard times…and He wept because she would not let anyone help her or be close enough to be there for her and He knew that she felt completely alienated and alone. The darkness continued to grow deeper and deeper and consume more and more. There were times when the girl would reach out to Jesus. In fact, there was a crack in the deep seeded walls of darkness that covered her heart…and that crack was worship through music. When she worshiped it was real. It was raw. And it was the only time that she felt anything in her life. It was as if the very melody and rhythm would awaken a faint heartbeat to the emotions and feelings of a girl who had died long ago. And it was through those times that she knew that He loved her. She knew that He gave everything for her. But she always shrunk back when the relationship got to serious because she had never fully experienced and felt His love due to what she had given away ong ago in that closet. She could explain His love and tell others about it but it was never real to her…and Jesus continued to weep.
The deadness continued until one day truth was finally able to penetrate through the walls surrounding her heart. The scales were finally removed from her eyes and as Jesus was standing right next to her, He was able to show her the truth of the state she was in. He gave her a vision: He (Jesus) was holding her in His arms. He held her cold, lifeless body and he wept over her. His tears fell on her pale skin and He gently spoke life over her. He stroked her hair and softly kissed her forehead…and Jesus wept. Then Jesus breathed on her face and put his hand over her eyes. He breathed on her again and put His hand over her heart. Then He breathed on her once more and touched her stomach. This vision moved the girl to tears…and she wept. A flood of emotions swept over her and for the first time she felt the warmth of His love. The feeling was real and the walls were beginning to give under the weight of His truth and love but it was short lived, for the girl, like always, shied away from any hint of feeling and emotion…and Jesus wept. But this time it was a different weeping…it was of joy for he knew that the darkness now had no hold on her…and healing was about to take place.
The evening of that same day Jesus had given her this beautiful vision, Jesus decided to use one of His other beautiful children to speak His love into this girl’s life (He loves to use His children to speak life into each other). As she was worshiping the Lord in song (her favorite thing to do) a woman named Chelsea came up behind her and just began to tell her that Jesus loved her and had been with her every step of the way. But those walls around the girls heart still weren’t giving. BUT THEN…but then Jesus starting going way above and beyond and rocked this girls world! Chelsea began to call out specific details of the girls childhood that there was no way that she could have ever known. The girl had never shared these things with others before. Chelsea spoke the words, “I hear a car door slam….” And at that moment the walls came tumbling down. The fact that Jesus cared so much about this girl that He would personally connect with her and then in the same day ask someone else to be obedient and also share Jesus love with her totally blew this girl away! Chelsea held her as she cried and Jesus smiled! The wounds had been revealed and now it was time for healing…the girl felt totally exposed and yet grateful at the same time as Chelsea hugged her and walked away.
Jesus just stood there with the girl and put His arm around her and leaned close to her ear and said, “Now for the healing. Your wounds will be healed.” He brought the vision back to the girls memory from earlier that day of Him holding her in His arms. As she was standing there thinking about Jesus holding her she felt a tap on her shoulder. Chelsea had come back. This time she leaned over and said, “Ummm this might be a little bit strange but I think that God is telling me to breathe on your face.” And the tears came again. So as Chelsea blew on the girls face the vision from earlier became real to her and she saw…Jesus holding her but this time, instead of tears, he wore a huge grin from ear to ear. As He held her He breathed on her face and touched her eyes and when He removed them the girls’ eyes fluttered open and color returned to her face. Then Chelsea blew on her face again…Jesus breathed on her again and touched her heart and it began to beat. Then Chelsea blew on her face once more…Jesus breathed on her once again and He touched her stomach and a fire ignited deep down inside of her…and she was healed!
Like I said before, the focus of this story is not the girl. We all have a story. We all have or have had area’s in our lives that have kept us from experiencing the very power and presence of Jesus. But the beauty of it all is that He will never give up on His relentless pursuit of us! He genuinely and deeply cares about His creation and He so desires for us to experience every good thing. So my friends, it is time to be awakened! Look at your life….do you see Jesus' pursuit of you? Do you see His faithfulness? Even if you are going through hard things…you are alive… and that in and of itself is a miracle and proof of Jesus' deep love for you. Sometimes we have to allow ourselves to be healed in order to move on to the greater things that He has for us! He is merely waiting on our decision and continuing to be with us every step of the way and until we respond…He weeps for us because He knows what we could have but have not because of our pain and pride that keeps us from giving in to His amazing love.
My prayer for you as you have read this blog is that you would be awakened, just as this girl was! I believe that He is speaking to you, He is drawing you near to His heart, and He is expressing His love. He had this blog written specifically for you. Know that He feels what you feel and He hurts when you hurt. He weeps with you and for you….and one day…when you make the choice to accept His love…His tears will turn to rejoicing. And He will rejoice with you. He loves you and He always will!
