I'm going to tell you a little secret about secrets. It's something you may find shocking. You may find it to be pure rubbish and refuse to read anymore of my blog entries. *insert wicked giggling here* Secrets are bad. I don't mean suprise party/special gift kind of secrets. Those are FUN and harmless. The secrets that are harmful are the ones that ALWAYS involve marital relationships, family dynamics and our friendly relationships. Keeping these kind of secrets only leads to misery, destruction, betrayal, chaos and mayhem. Some of you are saying, "Oh, YankeeBelle...how you do go on!" While I admit that I do love a good hyperbole as much as the next girl, this is no stretch...this is the truth. Keeping secrets of this nature is an exercise in futility because they NEVER stay hidden. The Bible says so; look it up! There are verses upon verses that talk about God revealing what we try to conceal; about what we whisper in quiet corners being SHOUTED from the roof tops; about what we try to bind being loosened. And while we're at it, chew on this fact: there is a FINE line between keeping a confidence and perpetuating a lie. Granted, you aren't adding to the misinformation but at the same time, you aren't doing anything to deflate it by refusing to speak the truth.
Rest easy, dear friends. All is well, by God's grace, at Ye Olde House of Snark. Friends of mine are locked in a battle with Satan...and you can laugh if you like, but He is the Father of Lies and would like nothing more to steal, kill and destroy these folks...all because of secrets: secrets from childhood hurts, secrets of broken marital vows, the lies told to cover these secrets...the lies told by the silence of those who know the truth. You must understand...the people at the center of these situations are not bad people...they are good folks who have lost their focus and no longer have an accurate picture of right and wrong. It has been one of the most heartbreaking things in my life to watch this unfold. I'm not part of the problem, so I have no part in resolving this. My BEST and only option is to pray. And that's what I've been doing. I've prayed for revelation of truth to those who are believing lies. I have prayed for comfort for those who are struggling under the weight of their emotional pain and marital indiscretions. I have prayed for healing, discernment, wisdom, resolution and restoration. I have prayed for the friendships that are being torn apart because of the secrets, because of the lies. I have prayed for a standard of accountability to be reinstated. Here's the kicker...you can be a good friend and try to shield a loved one from the natural consequences of his/her actions, while he/she tries to get back on the righteous path, but you can only do that for so long. Maintaing this shield...acting like your friend's personal "Secret Service" only worsens things. What you end up doing is removing ANY and ALL sense of accountability. Taking the bullets for your friend doesn't really help them and certainly does NOTHING to improve your life. Remove the boundaries and chaos insues.
Pretty heavy stuff, I know. Not the usual rainbow colored-lollipop flavored fare that is dished up around here but this has been on my mind. Forefront in my mind. Who these folks are...where they are, well, all that isn't important. Truth be told, you probably know some folks in similar situations. We all do. All because of secrets...which by the way, aren't really secrets at all. God sees EVERYTHING. So why waste the time and energy it takes to maintain a shakey house of cards?
Rest easy, dear friends. All is well, by God's grace, at Ye Olde House of Snark. Friends of mine are locked in a battle with Satan...and you can laugh if you like, but He is the Father of Lies and would like nothing more to steal, kill and destroy these folks...all because of secrets: secrets from childhood hurts, secrets of broken marital vows, the lies told to cover these secrets...the lies told by the silence of those who know the truth. You must understand...the people at the center of these situations are not bad people...they are good folks who have lost their focus and no longer have an accurate picture of right and wrong. It has been one of the most heartbreaking things in my life to watch this unfold. I'm not part of the problem, so I have no part in resolving this. My BEST and only option is to pray. And that's what I've been doing. I've prayed for revelation of truth to those who are believing lies. I have prayed for comfort for those who are struggling under the weight of their emotional pain and marital indiscretions. I have prayed for healing, discernment, wisdom, resolution and restoration. I have prayed for the friendships that are being torn apart because of the secrets, because of the lies. I have prayed for a standard of accountability to be reinstated. Here's the kicker...you can be a good friend and try to shield a loved one from the natural consequences of his/her actions, while he/she tries to get back on the righteous path, but you can only do that for so long. Maintaing this shield...acting like your friend's personal "Secret Service" only worsens things. What you end up doing is removing ANY and ALL sense of accountability. Taking the bullets for your friend doesn't really help them and certainly does NOTHING to improve your life. Remove the boundaries and chaos insues.
Pretty heavy stuff, I know. Not the usual rainbow colored-lollipop flavored fare that is dished up around here but this has been on my mind. Forefront in my mind. Who these folks are...where they are, well, all that isn't important. Truth be told, you probably know some folks in similar situations. We all do. All because of secrets...which by the way, aren't really secrets at all. God sees EVERYTHING. So why waste the time and energy it takes to maintain a shakey house of cards?
I JUST had this conversation at lunch with the kids about arming themselves with the armor of God (Eph. 6) and not "fighting" with one another, but fighting the true enemy. And anyone who thinks he doesn't exist...he and his cohorts...is sadly mistaken. But Glory to God, we are no longer bound by him but freed by Christ!!
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