I sat with a dear friend many years ago during the occasional outing to Barnes & Noble Cafe enjoying the delicacy of the season – a super scrumptious flavor of cheesecake.  We chatted about a lot of things.  Some surfacey topics, some deep, some entertaining and some confusing!  But, I always enjoyed these talks because I was “free to be me”!  It was a welcomed break to breathe and not feel judged.  One Sunday evening, she asked me a hard question that pierced deep within my heart to the depths of my soul.  “How long are you going to live the lie?”  I had no answer because I did not know the answer.  I spent the next several weeks pondering her question.  I concluded I had to make some drastic changes for my own survival. 

God desires truth in ALL things.  A little white lie, a covering up of someone’s mistake, or ignoring what you know to be wrong out of fear,  is just as much a sin as that of the thief or murderer in the eyes of the Lord.  

“The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, 

but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” 

– ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:13

It is also important to forgive yourself and/or others involved because without forgiveness, healing cannot evolve.  Forgive to the measure by which you were forgiven when Christ paid the price of your sin on the cross.

Realizing that I had to make some changes, and taking the action to do so, was a pivotal beginning to a series of “God – sized” miracles that would unfold rapidly over the next 6 months.  I had to identify the lies, identify the truth, ask forgiveness, and seek a new way.  There was a lot of pain associated with the changes and a lot of truth revealed over the next several years.  But, it was necessary for healing to take place and for new growth to come forth.

I believe that the corner table in the back of the cafe could write my life journey during those years of “cheesecake talks” more poetically than I can.  Alas, it is I who must write it because that corner space does not need to be free from the lies I believed to be true, but I sure did.

My “cheesecake talk” buddy is a real, trustworthy, faithful friend.   To this day she pours truth and love into me and my family.  Even though we are on opposite sides of the country and talk maybe four times a year, the quality of our time together is priceless.  Those “cheesecake talks” were truly a gift of her merciful ministry, and I firmly believe the Lord used them to rescue me from destruction.

It is my prayer that you will take the time to ponder some lies in your life that you believe, and release them to the only One who can reveal the truth in a healing way!

Joyfully Healing from the Inside Out,