SHAME

“A terminal emotion to be avoided at all cost.” Pause to move Fear to the backseat.

Love speaks.

Shame is extreme sorrow caused by loss. Loss of innocence, loss of control, loss of family, friends, all the things that mattered to you personally. Maybe you had something to do with it, maybe you didn’t, it doesn’t matter because Shame doesn’t care. He’s the messenger, not the message. Pause to face Shame.

The look is paralyzing. Dressed in disappointment, wreaking in humiliation, eyes glazed in failure, identified and tagged as NOT GOOD ENOUGH, A FOOL, CRAZY, LOSER, OUTCAST, UNLOVED, UNWORTHY. Pause to feel. Shame is a heavy load to bear.

Quickly you move into survival mode: Take revenge, withdraw, blame, perfect (rinse and repeat). Take revenge, withdraw, blame, perfect (rinse and repeat). Over and over again, until you get so sick and tired of Shame that you stop and ask Why? Why me? Pause to hear. For your sake, I must stay until you read the message.

Looking past the embarrassment and disgrace, you see a posted note stuck in the middle of his scarred hand, with the word HOPE all in caps. By design, you know it's not the "genie kind". This HOPE is the real deal. The One that restores what was lost, forgives and redeems what was taken, releases the lies that make you feel defected and discarded and then sets you free to run. EnJoy. Pause to accept. Pause to receive.

Shame leaves and Love stays. God is in both, making sure you overcome whatever it is that you need to overcome. Lesson learned through the process? You are protected. You are beloved. You are beautiful. You are priceless. You are valued. You are worthy to be called sons and daughters of the King. Never forget that.

Bless.

Momma Bear

"No one whose HOPE is in You will ever be put to shame." Psalms 25 NIV (caps added)