Getting back home for a few days has allowed me to reconnect with the 7 Pillars group of men.  It has also allowed me to get caught up with the two lessons I missed.  I started the lessons yesterday morning after my devotional time and had to stop.  It was too painful for continuing at the moment.  The lessons titles are “Warfare” and “Facing the Pain”.  I could see why the lessons required the activities to be completed, but even with my background of help, it was too much for one sitting.  At noontime I talked with the one teaching the lessons and he had good insight for me.  Today, as I just finished them I could see why they were needing to be completed.  The activities had me not only identifying the 10 most painful events of my past, but then I had to answer 3 questions for each one.  In doing so I was then able to see why some of those events still had some grip on me.  Things like my identity, how I see myself, how I think others see me, how I believe God has seen me, the value God places in me, etc.  Even though I’ve know to call all of these thoughts a lie, I hadn’t replaced them with God’s truth in every case.  Letting the truth of God’s Light shine on them was very needed.

This event in the lesson required me to turn from darkness I’ve run from all my life.  Instead of running from the darkness I turned and faced it.  Amazingly, in facing it the Light of God’s truth and understanding was shed.  I am so grateful to be part of this class and completing this curriculum which God has inspired.  Being a new creation in Christ only continues to take root as these assignments are completed.  I am so grateful!