Crawling Out of Our Tombs!

I am betting none of you thought they would see a picture of a tomb on my blog today, but I think it is important to pass on my pastor's sermon in part from Sunday.

He talked about how Jesus was entombed and then rose again after three days, how the stone was rolled away and we can imagine the angel sitting around laughing, saying..'I rolled that stone away, He is risen, now whatcha gonna do?'

The real message was pretty simple. Many of us are living in our tombs. We are put into them by past experiences and as bits and pieces of us are placed in our tomb, small pieces die with that entombment.

The job I once held for over twelve years that I was so good at and saved so many lives and now I can't perform that work any more due to my hearing issues. This has so depressed me, I put myself in this tomb. My husband who loves me more than anything, but always little comments about .... we would be so much better off if...he wasn't the only one working, we had more money coming in, I wasn't seeing all these doctors who don't seem to do anything....each word puts me into my tomb.

Loosing my job due to hearing....in my tomb. Can't find work due to (you fill in the blank) (over the age of 50/female/unemployed/Masters and Bachelors degrees/want younger people/etc.) In my tomb. Staying inside on most days except to go to the doctor or pick up the kids....in my tomb. Our shared driveway issue...in my tomb!

All of these things and what has happened? We go into our tombs and slam the doors and we stay there with the stone tightly pressed up against the opening and we say to those who come to visit....stay away, I don't want to come out, I don't know how to come out, if I come out, I will get hurt, disappointed, it is safe inside our tomb.

We get out of our tombs by realizing God didn't put us there, we did. He has great plans for us, plans we can't see right now but we need to open the Bible and read His word and feed ourselves if we are every going to get out of the tomb.

The door isn't closed, it isn't blocked, God won't allow it. God is telling us walk out, head into the light and ask me for help. Let God hold us in His arms and help us out.

I have realized I love to quilt and have an opportunity to do so everyday. But many days I never make it? If I want to sell quilts, I have to make them and that means treating my projects like jobs. Working on them everyday for so many hours, not being distracted by Facebook or the phone and taking it seriously.

I have lost weight due to taking my health seriously for the first time since 2006 and it feels good. I am not where I want to be by any means, but I stepped out of my tomb and said I want to live, I want to feel better. Well, I still hurt every day, I still struggle with the pain to get up and down my stairs, but I am trying to push that door wide open.

I signed up to support a little boy named Elijah on Relay for Life, he is 19 months old and has Neuroblastoma Cancer and he has been through so many things we as adults cannot imagine and he smiles. This little boy deserves our support. I am walking because I lost my mom to breast cancer, my husband lost his dad to Asbestosis. Daily I create small mug rugs hoping to generate donations to give to this great cause. I am out of my tomb!

My biggest problem is feeling worthless. I don't work which depresses me. I don't always feel well, which depressed me. I have a hearing issue, which depresses me. I stay home and yet at times my house is a wreck because I have no oomph, which depresses me. My husband comes home after a long day at work and I have no dinner ready or thoughts about it, which depresses me.

Living in a tomb isn't fun. It is a dark and scary place. I want to open the door, I ask God to open the door everyday. It isn't the tomb that had me, it was not recognizing I was in it until Easter Sunday when the pastor began to open the doors.

Break the walls of your tomb down and if you need prayer, I am here for you!