Skip to main content

Walls so High...Opportunities will Pass you by

  We all bear sorrow, we all harbor heartaches, we all carry hand baskets of hurt. But, grief often glimmers strong testimonies. Drop the hand basket of bitterness from trials. Don’t build up brick walls so high...that opportunities pass you by. Keep your heart open with God’s joy. Don’t hang a “close sign” on your soul.

I’ve never really shared my testimony. So, I lay open my heart with the past. The most rugged terrain I have traveled, “the loss of a parent”. The paths that led up to that moment were lined with thorny trial bushes. They scratched and scraped at my heart, leaving wounds and deep scars. My dad had 1/3 of his lung removed in 2003. The devious cancer decided to return in 2005. My dad passed away in 2008. The year of 2003 was filled with shock and unbelief. 2005 was filled with prayerful battles. In 2008 a tearful river flowed through the O’Banion family forest. The hand basket that was given to me: chaos, terrible tribulation, grief, depression, and bittersweet sorrow. By losing my dad, I could of hung a neon close sign on my heart. I wanted to keep my heart open, especially for God to enter. I wanted Him to have access to fix and mend my broken heart. I wanted to keep hard-hearted walls crumbling.

Walls? Don’t build sterile brick walls because of your past. Give God room to break those walls and grow light-hearted Lilacs. Grow lavender of love, so opportunities can pass easily.

If I would of staked a “no trespassing” sign on my heart, I would of never fell in love with my husband. I knew my dad would of wanted me to move forward and build a life for myself. He wouldn’t of wanted me to build a “loss wall” to prevent love from getting in. No, I wasn’t scared to wear my heart on my sleeve. I knew God would protect my heart with light lavender and cushioned lilacs.

Some of us are beaten with calloused pasts. But, don’t lay and beat bricks into a wall of solitary confinement. My dad had a horrific childhood. Trauma and hurt overlaid his mind. He overcame the wall building by letting God’s grace grow gentle gardens. Harsh walls were weakened by God’s strength within my dad.

Don’t let the opportunities for happiness, love, peace, and joy be barricaded by trials. Open your heart like a 24 hour cafe. Sip coffee with a light heart. Stay out of the stark dark of wall building.

Let God plant within you gardens of mellow marigolds and move merrily forward.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Look for the Blessing Red Birds, Cherry Blossoms, and Orchids of Beauty in Life

March has marched in with a vengeance of change. In the Trojan horse saddlebags hid a shrewd surprise, Coronavirus. The gray clouds of uncertainty pelted us with “riddle me this” rain. The Trojan horse then galloped over valleys of vividness. Alas, the vivid vex was prevalent over states and pastures. The virus staked our soil with transforming turmoil. Ah, but that riddle rain also brought with it growth of cherry blossoms. They grew tall and strong amidst wrestling weeds of “where’s the joy?”   I was covered by those cheerful cherry blossom trees last weekend. My Birthday was March 16th. I must admit, I felt as if one of my unwanted presents was the looming virus. I sensed a thick foreign fog. But, my husband, my Superman, saved my “Birthday”. He pulled me from the dense fog and flew me around our “Metropolis”. We shopped, reminisced, ate cheesecake, and laughed with merriment. It’s as if he set me upon a marriage merry-go-round. Round-and-round we go, on love embellishe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pine Heart Roots

  On a Friday afternoon, I packed the car and my mom and I drove down Sea Blue Lane.   Our destination was Pine Prairie, Louisiana.   Wheels rolled down blacktop while music notes rocked and rolled through the Malibu.   We sped through Lafayette and entered “Country Land”.   As I passed by horses, my eyes lit up with little girl joy, as usual.   Cows grazed as clouds speckled their backs.   The bayous were fading behind us as pine trees started to grow in their place.   The scenery was refreshing, renewing our minds with fresh crawfish waters.   We finally arrived at my cousin, Dana’s house and parked upon O’Banion territory.   I needed to strip my bark of “stress needles” and regrow peace around my “pine heart”.       I was feeling distant from my dad.   Year after year, the roughness I once felt on his hand was smoothing.   He is branded in my heart, but I needed that brand to be lit under fire ...
2 comments
Read more

Country Bound

Country Bound I travel down a mellow, yellow sunflower road upon miniscule “wishing” pebbles.   A monument stands tall amiss sprightly wildflowers.   Rustic, red barn, tell me your wisdom, tell me your stories.   A split rail fence is my guide, built by thick, rough hands.   It dances to a patterned rhythm around a charming, pastel blue farmhouse.   I am country bound, my soul to be found. I pass by a field flowing with radiant corn.   Stalks stand tall, presiding over misty pastures.   Golden wheat is nuzzled with sunny rays.   It waltzes with the wind and tangos with blades of grass.   Hearts of farmers beat in rolling hills, growing “love soy seeds”. An apple pie sits on a crackled window sill cooling for attention.   Cinnamon swirls through a two-story house.   Maple beans, sweet greens, and cornbread overflow the Amish-built table.   Greens pop into savoring mouths.   Sugary beans candy-coat t...
Post a Comment
Read more