Bridges & Braces Episode 1

If you’ve ever had braces, you know the pain that you have to endure in the hopes of improving your smile. If you have never been that kid, be thankful. You never had to have a mouth full of wires, wax and rubber bands. It sounds like a torture device and talk to anyone who has had or has them now and they will tell you about the days of sharp pain they endured.

No one likes to revisit the painful places of there lives but the point here is when you are in the midst of a season that hurts, like braces, it feels like it’s the worst pain and might last forever. When the heart tightens up its like wires and rubber bands pulling and stretching us to our breaking point.

Sometimes those braces get put on because of other people and sometimes we are the reasons they stay on longer then they should. I know I have been guilty of the latter more times then I care to admit. However, learning to lay things at God’s feet and pray for His will is the easiest way to explain how to deal in those moments but also the hardest thing you will do today.

Waking up and making the choice to lay the burdens down at God’s feet is as much a trained behavior as it is learning how to dance or continuing a workout. It takes daily discipline in order to create good habits. You may have heard the saying “what God Brings you to, He brings you through” and that’s what you are facing in those moments when the braces are tight and painful but its in those moments God is building bridges to new areas of your life. You have had the strength to let these things go all along but for some reason you hold on to it. Whether it because you believe you can fix it yourself or can control that area of life. Maybe the worst is you hold on because you know the outcome may not be what you are hoping for.

God’s plan for our life is laid out in Jeremiah 29:11-12 but not so clear that we know the conclusion of the pain we are facing. However, it’s a comforting verse that allows us to know that NO MATTER how bad these braces feel, the end result will always be a beautiful smile.

Bridges & Braces Episode 2

Bridges & Braces Episode 2

Praying for God’s will and for Him to change our hearts to match His is incredibly scary. Praying with persistence when you are weary is like brace wires tightening on your gums and jaw but you have to keep moving forward. God is still at work. Sometimes He reveals quickly things what we need to know and sometimes He doesn’t reveal answers at all but moving forward is all we can do. It’s for the greater good and plan that He has set for our life from the beginning.

I’ve found that praying for God to show me the next step vs. the whole staircase was the only way to get from braces to bridges. I never had the confidence to cross the bridge to new areas of my life when all I could think about was the pain I was feeling. Not knowing who/what would be waiting on the other side of the bridge and not knowing who would follow me as I crossed made it incredibly scary. Also, I’m thankful that God doesn’t illuminate the whole staircase, because I know I would just take off running to the top and miss the other lessons I needed along the way. I’m growing to enjoy the adventure like a roller coaster. Its scary at times and thrilling at times but it’s worth the ride as long as we stay on the tracks, harness on and hands and feet inside the ride as ALL TIMES!

Laying things at God’s feet is also is also important so that we can see the areas of our life that may be causing us to feel pain or be robbed of joys/blessings. We often times swim in waters that remind us of our own pain and we need to just get out and dry off. I know as a former counselor that when I’m helping someone that has/is going through similar situations that I’ve faced, I have had to learn how to carry their burden so as NOT to allow it to drum up my own dark areas causing me to put those braces back on again. While God can use our healed scars to help others, there is a fine line in those moments that we need to pray for so as not to rip open the wound again and have you spiraling down the staircase that was already concurred.

Whether you have battled thru the braces or God has helped you build bridges to new places in your life, these are moments that can increase your faith. Faith in God, Faith in yourself that you did it and faith in yourself that you can endure tough seasons again. New braces are coming and will tighten down on you again but no matter how long it last or how painful they become, there is a bridge for you to cross that IS coming. You’ve seen this pattern before from God and while you may be too close to the mirror to see it yet, God IS still shaping your smile.