What's Got You Chained Up?

I hope you're all having a restful Sunday.

I want to share a video, an outfit and a few thoughts too.

Please Chime in. I'd love to hear your heart on the issue.

 I am Wearing: Pants: Gap, Sweater: TJ maxx, Scarf: express, Shoes: Mervins like 8 years ago (seriously)

Something has been on my mind for weeks now. Something that seems to be haunting me, nagging at me, tormenting me, irritating me even. A story that makes my eyes fill with water and gives me a lump in my throat when I read it. I've read it over and over recently and still the same results. I'm haunted with what God did. He broke chains and set captives free! He's been nagging at me recently asking me what chains are binding me-holding me captive to a freedom-less life. I've got just as much junk as the next person. BUT, I want to see God do a miracle in my marriage, in my finances, in my ability to parent my children, & in my relationships. I look at my junk & my sin as shackles. So this story really gives me encouragement. 

Acts 16:25-34 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and  every one's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said,  “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them  the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he a was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

There are so many things that I love about this section of scripture. I love that Paul & Silas were simply doing what felt natural to them. They were singing to the Lord together and rejoicing as they sat in a cold dark jail cell. The picture in my head of them pouring their hearts out to God wrecks me. I imagine they were so hungry that their stomachs were growling just as loudly as they sang. They stunk, they had dried blood from being beaten for healing folks and telling them about Jesus. They had no idea when they'd get to see day light again. They just sat there, and sang, and reflected on God's goodness in the midst of their despair. I love it. I also love that the Lord created a miracle in not just making the earth quake, BUT breaking every single shackle on every single prisoner. The earth quake really isn't the miracle, earth quakes happen a lot. The miracle is that every prisoner was set free. The chains falling to the ground were not just a physical-literal thing, it was also a spiritual thing and a metaphor for how Jesus breaks our chains and sets us free!

I also love the part when the prison guard brings Paul & Silas to his home and cleans their wounds. It made me reflect upon the festering wounds that I've had which God has cleaned for me. The prison guard was SO changed by what he had experienced that he wanted to share it with his whole family. 

What's been so irritating, haunting and NAGGING to me is that God wants me to search my heart and bring to Him the things that are holding me captive. Simply doing this, I fear is going to bring to light things in me that I don't want to face or change. I'm struggling with this. So my question is, 

what's got you chained up? What area of your life do you need to see God moving the most?

I want to open up the comment section of this post for comments & prayer requests too. If you need prayer, I want to  pray for you & so would the readers of this blog. Feel free to leave them anonymously if you want to get personal. Feel free to leave a comment of encouragement in response to a prayer request if you want to lift someone else up. Please share what God is teaching you or a way that he's answered a prayer lately. 

There is something special about woman who cheer one another on and pray on behalf of 

each other when we're too weak to pray. 

{I'm gunna go finish off that jar of jalapenos in the fridge.}

ps. I love you guys.