As I sit here contemplating freedom this morning on Independence Day were Americans have a national holiday to celebrate, remember and consider the freedoms we enjoy and the incredible bravery and price that was paid for the freedom we enjoy, a prayer request came through for a woman struggling with addiction. A picture was painted of her condition, my heart bleeds for all who suffer various addictions-whether it be drugs, alcohol, food, spending…you name it, we seem to almost have a gift when it comes to blinding our pain with the ‘stuff’ in our world. But for the grace of God, there I would be also, right next to her, in her house. You see-at various times I have struggled with an eating disorder. In my younger years I struggled with anorexia nervosa and bulimia-alternating with binging-a very destructive cycle of ‘food addiction’ with seasons of ‘sobriety’, abstinence from the binge. Recently I went through a few weeks of engaging in the slippery slope of reintroducing sugar into my diet-which led to binging. Miraculously and mercifully, in the middle of the sugar-coma, the Lord gave me a picture of myself. He literally gave me a vision of myself doing lines of cocaine, strung out in some dark, garbage littered back alley-and I was bound with unseen chains. I could almost smell the stench and feel the filth of the alley. It was a shock of reality-a perfect analogy. I immediately saw that there was no difference between me doing ‘lines of frosting laden miniature cupcakes’ and the person in the back alley injecting heroin. It woke me up! I was making choices that kept me from being as effective for His kingdom, doing the work I am called to, producing-writing, coaching, praying and serving. When we suffer from depression or anxiety, it is so easy to get sucked into taking the route of medicating it with drugs and alcohol or anything else in a desperate attempt to gain distance from the pain-it can be almost an innocent slip into the spiral of addiction. Often we have pain we aren’t even aware of at a conscious level. Most, don’t seek to be addicted, suffering the consequences thereof, not living life to the full, instead withdrawing and hiding because of the shame they feel because of their addiction. In an unsuccessful attempt to wash away all the pain we medicate with anything we can, ultimately being tethered and bound in the cycle. The opposite of freedom. The whole cycle of addiction is misery-with moments of numbing from the pain of life, but nothing that sticks. Bound by invisible chains, the person struggling with addiction is anything but free.
This afternoon we are heading to the theater to see the movie, Sound of Freedom starring Jim Caviezel, https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-freedom?gclid=Cj0KCQjwho-lBhC_ARIsAMpgMoeTFj69yw39dG-xSuA0-1uWjLqXBnky2VaUdODvbkj_e88wWeaFHTsaAiNPEALw_wcB&zip=59715&date=2023-07-04, who played Jesus in the film, The Passion released in 2004. It’s a film bringing much needed awareness to the rampant global crisis of human trafficking, with the intention drawing support to end it. Again, in this modern world, were we ended slavery in America nearly 160 years ago, it is unimaginable to many, if not most of us that there is still the evil of slavery-only these victims aren’t made to work the fields in the south, held against their will, this evil is keeping them drugged, disoriented, chemically restrained, trapped, and used for sex-against their will, being raped sometimes multiple times a day-women and children. Some of this is filmed and being further exploited in online pornography. Yes, this is a dark post.
As I was praying for this woman this morning-I was prompted to pray for all who are struggling for freedom from whatever binds them. The Lord reminded me of this song by Katy Nichole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihrUIPfvTh8 . It is my prayer for all who are struggling-Jesus came to set the captives free. I am a warrior on His team-join me, pray with me, take action.
Part of what helps me stay free from addiction is my passion and purpose to help others, guiding and encouraging them with coaching, helping them walk in Truth. The calling of coaching, took me through a journey of many painful miles, ultimately taking my focus off myself, putting it on Jesus who has set me free-it has been a balm for my soul. He has taken that which could have crippled me and has used it as a tool to help others get free.
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