The Rose of Jericho

The Rose of Jericho

One of the names of this plant is, “the resurrection plant”.  It can grow in rocky landscape, extreme heat, or in dry soil. When the soil is moist after infrequent rain, this plant will absorb the water and grow rapidly.  When the soil dries, it cannot store water; instead it folds up its stems and tightens into a ball. It will then go into a state of dormancy. All the metabolic functions will reduce to a bare minimum, appearing to be dead. It can remain in this dormant condition for years. When the rain returns, the plant’s cells rehydrate. The stems unfold, metabolism increases, and growth resumes. Even DEAD resurrection plants will unfold if given water; re-hydrated cells expand even when there is no living protoplasm in them. The “Rose of Jericho’s” ability to seemingly return from the dead justifies its common name. They have survived millions of years, and adapting to its surroundings has been the key to its survival. It is an eminent example of perseverance.

Source: Karak Agro

Most of us will go through stages like the “Rose of Jericho”.  From death of loved ones, financial debts, loneliness, abuse, being misunderstood, or heart-broken, whatever the case may be. The circumstances has left you depleted and dried up, causing you to “tighten up in a ball”, appearing to be dead. You may have lost your joy, and depression and anxiety has replaced your peace. You may even feel like you can’t go on like this and you don’t want to face another day in this state because in your mind you feel like things will never change or get better. I want you to know that rain WILL come! If you give up now, how will you see your children/grandchildren when they’re grown? If you give up now, how will you know that the breakthrough or cure is around the corner? If you give up now, how will you meet the soul-mate that GOD ordained for you, not the one that left? Did he/she really give 100% to the relationship? Did they love you as much as you loved them? When you are apart, are they excited to see you again as you are them? If there is a no to any of those questions, you are better off without them. Nothing and no one is worth giving up for. Not a debt, or illness. NOTHING.  I have a friend who 3 years ago was diagnosed with Lupus. The majority of the time she was racked with pain and rarely left her house. Another dear friend of mine started a prayer line that she felt God lead her to do. Maybe 2 months of being on the prayer line that she faithfully, and daily went on, she testified that she had come from the Dr.’s office where they ran tests to check her levels, they found no traces of the Lupus!!!! Praise be to God!!! So there are still miracles being done. She is now going out ministering and attending church. She is enjoying life again and yesterday she told me that she feels like her old self again!!! What if she had given up? She wouldn't have seen that life got better. It also matters that she is surrounded by people who pour words of life into her, and a God who gave her “Living Water!”  Who do you have around you? Have positive people around you who care for you and pray life into your soul. Ask God to give you that living water to bring you back to life! Whatever you need prayer for, send an email to lglpublishing@gmail. I will add your request to the prayer list or call the line M-F PST 6pm @ 712-832-8310, then press 6553027# God bless.  –L.G.London

THE UNVEILING

photo by pintrest

THE UNVEILING

Taking off the Mask

Because the encounters of life may at times have been so hard and difficult and the road to our destiny has had many twists and turns. The road also had dead ends and roadblocks, warning signs, and detours, inclines and declines. At times it has been slippery and even hard to see causing us to pull over to a stop on the side of the road. We don’t want others to know that we are going through feels as if it’s going to kill us so we put on a MASK.

 Some of the definitions of a “mask” according to the Webster-Merriam dictionary are:

*to keep (something) from being known or noticed.

*to hide (something) from sight.

*facades and defenses people erect to protect themselves.

*something that conceals from view.

*emotionally sensitive people wear masks.

I decided to do some research on masks and why people wore them. I had an ideal but I wanted to know if anyone else felt the way I did. The information I came up with was that there were different types of masks that people put on. Emotionally sensitive people can tend to believe that others have judged them, and may even feel rejected. They believe they get left out, and feel powerless to stop the injustice. They wear an Avoidance Mask to protect them from pain and to protect their true selves. Then there’s the Functional Mask. This one mostly everyone is wearing. It’s the one you wear to work to make everyone think everything is okay and your drug addicted husband or wife hasn’t been home in three days and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive. At times of necessity you wear the functional mask so people won't see that you are sad and your world is falling apart. With this mask, you feel your feelings but you are hiding them temporarily.  Wearing this type of mask is helpful, but to the emotionally sensitive people they prefer to wear a more permanent one to protect themselves emotionally.

People Pleaser Mask. These are the people who want to make everyone happy so they won’t be attacked emotionally. They want to be accepted so they won’t disagree on thoughts, preferences or feelings. Even if what they believe is contrary to the others, they will push it down or blow it off just to be seen in agreement. Someone can say, your friend is a louse and no good, you will just nod or don’t say anything out of fear even though you don’t agree. Fear of not being accepted. Then after the fact you get angry with yourself because you were afraid and didn’t stand up to them. You can do this so much until you lose yourself and won’t have your own thoughts or beliefs anymore.

Mask of Anger. Anger can keep people away and protect you from feeling weak. Anger feels more powerful than hurt, fear or sadness and can be used to avoid those painful feelings.  Not too many people know that an angry person is really a sheep with porcupine quills.  Emotionally sensitive people who wear the mask of anger are often lonely and feel worthless on the inside.

Happy Mask.  Is another way to protect yourself is to pretend as if you’re happy all the time. No one ever knows when your feelings are hurt and to the ones on the outside, nothing gets you down. Happiness covers your real feelings. You joke and smile even when someone asks to borrow money from you and you give it to them knowing it will shorten the light bill that is overdue.

Emotions and behaviors can be worn as masks. You can mask insecurities by disliking someone, or mask sadness by being the life of the party. Or mask fear by being a perfectionist. Wearing a mask is a way of disappearing or becoming invisible.

Putting on masks can cost. When you wear a mask, you don’t really feel the warmth of belonging because people won’t know who you really are. The basic need for people is to be able to connect with another person and that can’t happen when you are hidden. And the danger of wearing a mask for long periods of time is YOU won’t really know yourself or what you are feeling. Not knowing yourself creates a lot of anxiety because you can’t make decisions and who you are is defined by others or how the day went. Avoiding feelings means you lose part of who you are and increases the likelihood that you will be depressed or anxious. It’s exhausting to wear a mask.

Resource Karyn Hall Ph.D

I know that there is some truth to this. Almost twenty years ago I was sitting in my bed with a .45 pistol in my lap. I had just finished off some tequila and smoked weed trying to build up enough courage to pull the trigger. When I thought I was wasted enough I put the gun to my temple and when I went to pull the trigger a picture of my children flashed across my mind. I saw them running into the room after hearing the sound of the gun go off and finding my bloody body. I saw them panicking and crying and I knew they would be alone with no one to care for them like I would. I slowly put the gun away in my nightstand and cried myself to sleep. The next day I went to work and laughed and talked to my co-workers. The mask I put on never gave them a clue that the day before would have been my last. Over the years I got better and better at putting on a mask, they never knew my true thoughts or the nightmare I lived from day to day. or even the horrors of my past.

photo by ritberger

Unveil

*to remove a cover from (something) so that people can see it.

*to throw off a veil or protective cloak

*something that covers or hides something. (veil)

When I asked God to change me one of the things he started to do was strip me bare. In other words, removed the masks I was putting on, he unveiled me. When I go to him there are no pretenses, he knows who I am and I don’t try to cover it or hide it. He slowly had me be true to myself and to others. I allow myself to feel the pain when I hurt and not numb it with liquor or drugs. Prayer is the source of my strength, the lifeline to my existence. I owe everything to the Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s time to take off your mask and take a chance on someone getting to know the real you. You are worth someone loving and knowing the precious person that makes you unique and different from anyone else on this planet, after all, there is only ONE YOU. I would love to hear your thoughts on this, please leave your message below.        –L.G.

SAYING GOODBYE...PT 2

Saying Goodbye-pt2

photo by static1.squarespace.com

 

A Time to Grieve

After the loss of a loved one the feeling of helplessness may seem to consume you. Speaking for myself, I felt emotionally drained and tired for weeks after a loss. I’ve lost 5 out of 8 immediate members of my family. In 1992 I lost my baby sister at the age of 24; seven years later in 1999 I lost my brother who was the baby of the boys and who was also 14 months older than me, died at the age of 34. Four months later my Grandfather who raised me as his own, had a major stroke and was given 72 hours to live. God blessed him to escape death by being paralyzed on one side of his body but he was confined to a wheelchair. His speech was impaired and some of the time he cannot think rationally or walk. Seven years later in 2006 my biological mother died at the age of 54, followed by my middle brother age 42 in 2010, whom I adored. Finally my beloved Grandmother who raised me from birth passed away in 2013. I won’t say it was easy accepting the reality of the absences of the ones I loved, but I had a source where I could get strength from and that was the Lord Jesus Christ. You will always have memories of them and certain songs, places, and movies can trigger those moments. It was especially hard when holidays came around because my Grandmother made sure we had big family get-togethers. Losing siblings is just as hard, because they are the ones you know you can trust and go to when you need a shoulder or ear, so when that is gone who do you go to? I’ve found that in some of the most distressing times of my life I’ve turned to the scriptures and the words came alive and comforted me. I felt as if He reached down and held me and assured me that everything is going to be alright, in spite of what it looks like. Everything is going to be alright. I would like to share one scripture in particular from the book of Ecclesiastes:

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

photo by buzzerg.com

2 A time to be born , and a time to die ; a time to plant , and a time to pluck up that which is planted ;

3 A time to kill , and a time to heal ; a time to break down , and a time to build up ;

4 A time to weep , and a time to laugh ; a time to mourn , and a time to dance ;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together ; a time to embrace , and a time to refrain from embracing ;

6 A time to get , and a time to lose ; a time to keep , and a time to cast away ;

7 A time to rend , and a time to sew ; a time to keep silence , and a time to speak ;

8 A time to love , and a time to hate ; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice , and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink , and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth , it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

photo by fanpop.com

So there is a time and a season to grieve, but knowing also the time to heal and start to build which is what the Lord is leading me to do. I do not want to be so stuck in grieving that I miss the opportunity for happiness again. Yes, I will always miss them and a lot of times I feel alone but He told me to keep moving forward or my past will hinder me from being all that I can be. I encourage you today that when the season to heal comes, make the choice to move forward. Please share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to hear from you, or leave a little encouragement for someone else that’s in a season of bereavement.  Thanks and God bless- L.G.