A RUNNER'S ROADBLOCK
Today I want to take a minute to share a personal road block in my life.
Remember our life is a journey and many times we find ourselves off course.
I take full responsibility for my actions back in my college days. I do not blame anyone for my past sin or mistakes. But what I DO know is God has taken all my SHAME and replaced with HONOR!
A runners toe is called a black toenail because of its UGLY appearance. This is so common among runners and first noticed as bleeding under the toenail. The healing comes when the blood under the toe works its way out--and while the healing takes place, the area under the toenail is the perfect environment for infection if not cared for properly.
Like stated on the page below, a runners toe is cause by repeated pressure and constant friction. When enough damage occurs the toenail turns black and falls off.!
The PRESSURES of this life and possibly our past mistakes can cause an irritation in our personal journey causing us to back off, possibly turn black and cold due to the bleeding in our soul and eventually we fall off the path God intended for us to run.
Remember the healing of a runner toes comes when the blood under the toe works it way out.
I would like to take a moment and share a personal story that comes from a GREAT place of pain in my past.
I only share my past today because I care about other women today that are allowing their past to bleed under the surface due to repeated pressure and constant friction! Friends, the enemy knows how to keep the past bleeding in your soul.
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This is a true running story friends
My black toe nail fell off, infection was cleared and a NEW nail was born!
The new toe nail is clean, healthy and beautiful!
What a parallel right?
I love that God teaches me with crazy visuals!
When I was training for the Chicago marathon I had to take a few weeks off for my black toe nail to heal. It was a very gross/ugly time but during this time I was reminded of my ugly past and this is how the lesson came about.
Take a moment today and open your bibles to ISAIAH 61;3-4,7 this verse is also listed below from page 145 of the Run study.
This verse reminds us that instead of our shame Gods people through healing will receive a double portion!
This verse promises us that Gods splendor will be noticed in our lives and we will have a crown of beauty instead of a heap of black ashes. God is all about rebuilding, renewing and restoring!
Take a moment today and save this verse on your phone, make it your screen saver or write it on an index card and remind yourself of what God intends to do with those ashes!
Below you will see my story. I am going to let you read from the pages of the book.
I felt God couldn’t love me now friends, I was desperate.
My bitterness toward God numbed my conscience and helped pave the way for rejecting many of my personal convictions. I had a stone cold heart.
Life at one time became a wild party full of temporary moments of college happiness. The deeper I sank into this lifestyle, the more desperate I felt.
It wasn’t long before I found myself sitting in an abortion clinic up at MSU realizing I’d made a terrible mess of my life.
Not once but twice
My life had no sense of purpose or direction. I was a looser in college with no hope.
I decided to live the next five years in complete denial.
Well, the denial was the bleeding, friction and constant pressure of the black toenail!
My desire to "feel" good and "forget" caught up with me.
I tried for so long to:
DENY the facts
DENY the impact
DENY the act
Page 145 of the study will explain in more detail how we all tend to deny our personal ashes.
Pages 147-149 will teach you how to take the steps toward receiving your crown of beauty!
The steps are listed in the pages below. God wants to allow the past to fall off. However we need to remember the past and the act and bring it out of the darkness and covered by his light and blood.
FEELINGS are unreliable
the action steps I share will help you gain freedom and forgiveness.
Truth will change your heart!
Our stories take on a new meaning in Christ!
I love this verse:
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; the old is gone, the NEW has come!
The old toe nail is gone and the NEW grows back!
Take a deep breath with me!
I know we can become weary in our daily runs.
I pray the passage in ISAIAH encourages you today.
Remember If you take the "I" our of RUIN you are left with RUN!
Lets get rid of our "I" today, which is our focus on our own selves instead of RUNNING with Jesus!
He wants to bring a whole NEW HOPE and a NEW FUTURE!
Again, I pray you take my story with grace. It has been hard recently publishing a book and having friends and family see my past but my heart is for many to understand His splendor and grace! so I am not afraid to share and grateful for my calling to work with women on a daily basis!
Take time today and RUN
If you're interested in more lessons and further applications please grab a copy of RUN today. If you click the link on the right you can grab a FREE E book today.
Otherwise email me today for a discounted copy of RUN
heather@hbministries.com
