Rooms and Walls

I was thinking about life today and how it changes so quickly. You might be going along and everything in your life is great. You have a good job, married to a great spouse, great kids, house, you know...the "proverbial" American dream life. At least that's what everybody who knows you thinks. Really, you have an okay life...decent job, "married", still great kids, house...it might not be the American dream life but, it is your life and it's better than a lot of other peoples.  Then one day you wake up and it all changes. In a matter of sometimes just minutes it's gone! Sometimes because of a disaster, a death, a divorce, who knows...lots of things can change your life...maybe just one bad choice you make! Sometimes it's other peoples fault, sometimes it's yours and sometimes it's a combination. For me, I lost everything I lived for more than once and I wasn't totally blameless in any of those times. The thing is...every time it happens you lose a little more of yourself. Pretty soon you get to where you start shutting down different areas of yourself. In effect you are...losing your life.

Anybody that has been following this blog knows that I have been reading a book called...Rooms. It's about someone who when he was young suffered great loss. Because of everything that happened to him he shut down emotions and feelings in himself and started building "rooms". It's a good read so I won't tell too much in case you want to read it. But now, I'm almost to the end and I wish that there was a sequel. Why? Because I have learned so much from it. I think that everyone at sometime in their life puts up walls and at times even...builds rooms. Eventually, if you want to survive life, you have to start cleaning out those "rooms" and tearing down those "walls". You have to get rid of your old life and start working on a new one. I can tell you...it's a hard thing to do. The one thing I have found out is...you can't do it on your own. You will need help. You have to let the Lord take over.

Matthew 16:25 (New Living Translation)

²⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

What's the main lesson in "Rooms"? You have to totally give up your life to have life!! Take a look at your rooms. They might be filled with disappointment...hurts...fear...self loathing...regrets...failures...all of us have our own "rooms" and none of them are good. However, there is hope for us all...GOD. He is about freedom in every area of our lives. You just have to turn totally to Him. If you want life and freedom...turn to the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (New Living Translation)

 ¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.


You have to let God become a part of you. The biggest part of you. He has to be what matters to you most. In our minds we usually understand that...it's transferring those thoughts to your soul that can be hard. You have to remember that God is in you and you are in God! You have to fully surrender to Him and let Him be Lord of your life all the time...not just when it's convenient.

Matthew 22:37 (New Living Translation)

 ³⁷ Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."


You have to let your old life, your old...thoughts...failures...disappointments...bad choices...things people did to you...anything you have stored up in those "rooms" of your soul...fade. You will always remember them...but you can be free from the pain of them.



Lose your life, but lose it in and for, God!! It's not easy...but it's a choice! Will it be yours?