2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP) And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

But as the scripture points out, I don’t transform my story, it comes from God.  The tools gained in TYS are not magic wands that will instantly change us.  Rather they are instruments to pull the weeds or distractions that may hinder our ability to connect with God. This can stunt our growth.  Using the tools opens our hearts and minds to engage with God so His presence can transform us over time. He invites us to participate with Him in the work, remaining accessible to Him by practicing the use of spiritual tools.

Tremendous progress in this work was gained in an abortion recovery group. Many of the areas over which we stumbled, though, have multiple levels and certain issues may need to be revisited before they stop interfering with our life in other areas. New rounds of struggles happen in life and can trigger those old areas, so we need to access those tools and re-apply some of what we’ve learned in recovery.

The tools we use…

I typically need tools like prayer, journaling and gratitude on a daily basis.  Some of the other devices I must keep handy include anger and forgiveness letters and shame and truth walls (along with safe community in which to share as needed).  These instruments and others helped me through the loss of a family member, the suicide of another relative, the divorce of close friends, and a myriad of other issues that trigger old stumbling blocks discovered in abortion recovery.  

Different tools engage different aspects of our being and may be used separately or together.  Some tools engage the mind (journaling and reading), while some involve the emotions (letters, walls). Some tools satisfy the need to belong (sharing in community), some permeate the spirit (prayer, gratitude) and some encourage behavior (anger management and self-care).

Using spiritual tools keeps us grounded in reality and in God and keeps us out of our heads and away from the lures of the enemy.  Our goal is greater recovery and wholeness in God, and the tools are implements that move us toward that goal.

Tools should be used consistently, even if only a little at a time.  Otherwise, they can get rusty and more difficult to use over time.  Don’t wait for a crisis to hit and then scramble to find the needed tools only to find them caked over with rust, barely able to move (like the pruning shears in my garage last year).

Let’s Talk: What tools have you used lately? How can a spiritual tool you’ve gained be used to help you connect to God today?

The post Don’t let the tools rust appeared first on .

The Transforming Your Story guidebook begins with a friend’s metaphor of gardening. Her tale intersected my story perfectly.  The subsequent chapters of the book mirror my own journey to offer a guide for others to begin the work of examining, categorizing and pulling the “weeds” of destructive emotions and thoughts that have crowded the garden of our heart, mind and soul after an abortion so that the healthy “vegetables” of hope that God has planted there can grow and nourish us and others.

After we labor in weeding our story it is appropriate to pause and look at the healthy planting that God has done as we worked and reflect on the goodness of what was done.  God did that when he created the earth and everything in it.  Each time He worked, he took a pause and said “it is good!” (Genesis. 1:9-31).   And He placed humans in the garden of his creation and invited them to continue to cultivate his land with Him. He knew the weeds were coming (Genesis. 3:6-7), and He had a plan to re-create or restore the goodness that was made. He knows that weeds come back, and that the garden needs continual tending.

Thomas Greene, author of “Opening to God: a Guide to Prayer” writes, “The first … encounter with the Lord is never a final, completely transforming revelation”.

Completion of Transforming Your Story is not a final discovery of God or ourselves. Rather, it is more of an initial encounter, an invitation to continue to draw near to the Lord, to explore or examine, continue to weed and continue to grow in character and relationship.

That is what this blog is about.  It’s about the journey that we continue in partnership with God to re-create or transform old habits and messages, how we view or experience past and present harms and how we live our stories out going forward. It’s about a lifestyle or ongoing process of transformation.

I have continued to hike and weed this ongoing path myself since my first spiritual encounter with a transforming God.  At times the journey has felt like a step forward, sometimes like a step back, and sometimes I’ve let the weeds grow until nearly blocking my way.  The journey has and is not taken perfectly. But I believe that being willing to try to practice what was learned and to learn new things is the important part.  Desiring to make progress, one day, or one moment at a time.

My prayer is that this blog will be somewhat of a continuation of the book.  But in monthly, bite-sized, and lighter chunks! I encourage you to pause and reflect and to respond to God’s invitation to continue to draw near, weed and grow.

Let’s Talk: How have you reflected on God’s goodness in the garden of your soul?  What might it look like for you to respond to God’s invitation to partner with Him in your ongoing story?

The post Are weeds in the story gone? appeared first on .