For so many, the holidays bring back a slew of memories that are not exactly positive. For those people, I wanted to offer this devotional.
For many years I dreaded holidays with family. Don’t get me wrong, I really love my family, but until I spent time with God walking through some childhood healing and allowing Him to establish my true value within, I was a hot mess. Every year when Thanksgiving and Christmas would roll around, I would already be completely wrapped in insecurity. I didn’t know how to function within my family unit. I didn’t know where I fit. I also didn’t really know who I was yet. None of those things were their fault either. But you know when a person is hurting, they often struggle most with the ones they know the best, family.
While living away from them all, I began to walk out healing and identity, then it was time to go home for Christmas. A true test of all I had been learning and receiving over the previous years.
I remember talking with my husband about it and feeling nervous because I didn’t want to just fall into the same cycle I had lived out over and over again, year after year. He said, “Just be who you are and don’t worry about anything else.” So I did.
Every morning, I would wake up and spend time getting rooted in the Word, and then I would face the family. Something amazing happened! As I walked in my true identity right in front of them, the dynamic began to shift. That year, my parents decided to pray over each one of us, as a part of their gift to us. That was very much my language. I grew excited. Then when they began to pray over each one, I began to receive prophetic words for each and every person. Instead of pretending I didn’t hear anything, I boldly spoke those out, and it was amazing!!! This moment was of the utmost importance to me. It was as if God had directed things that year so He could show my family a portion of my true self without me doing anything. I just remained willing.
Ever since then, I have felt at ease around them all and the holidays have become full of joy and fun!
Friend, it’s not always others fault if you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s an indicator that you need healing. Maybe, just maybe, the Father is showing you a place where He longs to bring healing and identity. We must know who we are. That’s not selfishness, it actually makes it easier to love and invest in others. How can you value who others are when you don’t yet value yourself? It all circles back around to those trusty verses………
Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:37-40
365 Days in the Presence 