Cave People.
That’s what our creative team meeting was about last night.
I’m thrilled to be part of this group that meets every Monday night to listen to Matt give his upcoming message. As a group we discuss, throw around ideas and add our two cents. It’s a mulling of minds and hearts and I love it! Matt’s humble soul allows us to give him feedback and suggestions. It’s a wonderful time of learning from each other.
So as I was saying, we were talking about cave people. Or more accurately, the idea of cave dwelling.
Matt is doing a series on the life of David. It’s been amazing. This week is focused on the time that David spent living in a cave. Hiding from enemies, stripped of all possessions, friends and family. Time in a dark place that held no promise of a future or change. Fear and discouragement his only companions.
I would venture to guess that all of us have spent some time at some point in our lives in the cave of discouragement. Our hopes and dreams dashed. A problem with a relationship. A great loss. Health issues. Unemployment. Disappointment with someone or something. Our own failures. We find ourselves in that dark, lonely place that seems to have no way out. Alone, disoriented and afraid.
The temptation in that cave is to go after the first thing that looks like a way out. A relief from our pain and loneliness. It can look like a million different things. Those things that give temporary comfort are unfortunately the things that lead us only to an even darker part of the cave. We become more lost and isolated than ever.
But if we will sit quietly in the cave of discouragement for just a moment and ignore the quick fixes that flash us their artificial light, we will hear a whisper and feel the touch of a hand. We will experience the presence of One who is right there with us in the cave. One who wants to walk us out into the light. To bring back our hope. To restore our joy.
And in that place, once dark with fear and loneliness, we learn to lean into the one thing that can rescue us. The One Person who can free us from our current state. Our eyes begin to adjust enough to see that there are things to be learned on our way out of the cave. Things that we can talk about and ask about with the One who holds our hand and leads us to a new place. And we find that no matter how we got INTO this cave – either by our own doing or the doing of others or by circumstances beyond our control – there is only one true way out. And only one Guide who can get us out. Jesus.
Last night I shared about a cave experience I once had. A LONG cave experience. My cave during that cave time was my closet that I dubbed my “cussing closet”. A place where I vomited tears and poured out my angry, frustrated and hurt heart to God. It wasn’t pretty, but it was real. My healing began in that closet. That place where I yelled and screamed and eventually let Jesus hold me. Where I finally let Jesus rock me in the fetal position for months on end. That dark, lonely place became the breeding ground for a deeper intimacy with God than I had ever known before.
I still remember vividly the last time my closet was a “cussing closet”. I was on my knees, tears streaming down my face. And God asked me, “Are you ready? Are you ready to just hold on to Me and nothing else? Do you believe that I AM enough? Are you ready to love with abandon regardless of the response of others? Are you ready to let go of everything – the pain, the past, the dreams and expectations – to hold on to me?” With great angst and struggle, I finally said yes and for the first time walked out of that closet, that cave, with new hope.
That cave experience changed me forever. I’d like to say that I never had another cave experience after that. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be true. Life is messy sometimes. But every cave after that was less scary because I knew the feel of Jesus’ strong arms around me in the dark. I knew that HE was the way out. He’d shown me in the past and I knew His promises to never leave me and to give me a hope and a future were true.
By the time I finished sharing my story with the creative team, tears were once again rolling down my face. But not tears of sadness. They were tears of thankfulness for what was accomplished inside of me through that time in the cave. That place where I even more deeply fell in love with Jesus and had my first real taste of why they call grace “amazing”.
I’ve been asked to share short version of my story on video for this weekend’s services. I would love your prayers for this. That the message would be less about me and completely about the hope that resides in that cave. Please pray that my words would be real and clear and relatable and that nothing but God’s love and empathy for the cave dweller listeners would be heard.
My prayers and hugs to you if you are in the cave right now. Don’t be afraid. Know Who holds you and Who wants to walk out with you, hand in hand. Lean into His comfort and healing. Trust His promises.
Jeremiah 29:11 -” For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Psalm 57:1 – Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. (This Psalm was written while David was in the cave!)
