In my last post I described the "Maybe" Phase from the book Soul Repair. I want to briefly write about the process involved in moving from Maybe to saying Yes to God.
Two key ideas in this transition:
1) God's Yes - Realizing that throughout the No-Maybe-Yes process God has always been saying "Yes" to us and for us in Jesus. This sense often comes from realizing over the long painful path that God has not left our side, but indeed has stayed faithful to us when all else has fallen away. His constant loving presence provides a foundation of reassurance upon which to build trust again. Every time I feel anxious and abandoned, I am being called once again to "test the waters," to respond to God's Yes. To the extent that we believe the lie that God is against us - in effect, saying "no" to us - then we will revert back to the Maybe and possibly the No stage again.
2) The essential role of safe community - Walking through the desert, often abandoned by those who are unwilling to traverse it with us, we sometimes bump into fellow travelers who share our thirst and are headed in the same direction. These kindred spirits are in themselves deep pools of refreshing water, people who give us permission to be whoever and wherever we are without condemnation. This is also crucial for trust to develop, for our wounded souls need grace and rest to recover. When God seems absent and silent, the presence of another person calms our fears and reminds us of what is true and real. They become a channel of God's grace to us (what Job's friends should have been like!).
Two key ideas in this transition:
1) God's Yes - Realizing that throughout the No-Maybe-Yes process God has always been saying "Yes" to us and for us in Jesus. This sense often comes from realizing over the long painful path that God has not left our side, but indeed has stayed faithful to us when all else has fallen away. His constant loving presence provides a foundation of reassurance upon which to build trust again. Every time I feel anxious and abandoned, I am being called once again to "test the waters," to respond to God's Yes. To the extent that we believe the lie that God is against us - in effect, saying "no" to us - then we will revert back to the Maybe and possibly the No stage again.
2) The essential role of safe community - Walking through the desert, often abandoned by those who are unwilling to traverse it with us, we sometimes bump into fellow travelers who share our thirst and are headed in the same direction. These kindred spirits are in themselves deep pools of refreshing water, people who give us permission to be whoever and wherever we are without condemnation. This is also crucial for trust to develop, for our wounded souls need grace and rest to recover. When God seems absent and silent, the presence of another person calms our fears and reminds us of what is true and real. They become a channel of God's grace to us (what Job's friends should have been like!).
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