Chains...

The sun Is shining, the sky blue and free of clouds...free of any trace of rain from the weekend and I sit in thankfulness and wonder. It is a fitting metaphor for the clouds of confusion clearing from my mind...giving me eyes to see, ears to hear....

When the words of the Father begin to permeate, begin to settle in my very bones, I see clearly for the first time in what seems eons...lifetimes...the passing of ages...

Words of life, of truth...breaking the chains that bound me, breaking the cloud of doubt and self-loathing that hovered closely...cloaking my mind, body and spirit. Oh, do not be fooled...I am still climbing that mountain, scaling sheer walls slick with sorrow and heartache but now my friends...now it is with a sense of promise, with a sense of truth...the scales have dropped from my eyes and I can finally stand and observe the whole of the landscape before me, behind me and beside me. No more darkness, no more heinous words and actions to belittle and bring down.

The difference dear hearts is that I no longer fight outside influences...the fight is within...the battle is spiritual, is visceral and yet for survivors as real as the nose on your face.

I am free to grow once again...free to choose, free to live in joy and abundance...free from a slavery of emotions, actions and inequality.

I no longer fight to be heard, to be seen, to be understood....

I no longer beg to be loved, beg to be wanted.....

I jealously guard my heart and mind and open only to those that have earned the daunting task of being trustworthy.

As we walk out this path we've chosen, the chains begin to unlock...the chains begin to drop, one by one, to the ground to be swallowed up and destroyed.

As we take that leap of faith and step off the cliff, we find our feet take us to fresh ground...to fresh territory. It is as exhilarating as it is frightening....It takes faith to move...faith to trust despite feeling completely out of place, out of character....

It takes strength, and courage and a dearth of perseverance...so often we stumble...so often we tremble and falter...but as we continue to step, to move forward it slowly becomes familiar and right.

Do not give up dear hearts...you have come far too far...you have fought far too many battles to falter now...you are so close...so very close.

Go with God today and every day forward...knowing you are never truly alone.

May God grant you strength and courage and the knowledge you are loved unreservedly...

Walk out your path, stand tall, speak softly and with grace and dignity. God bless you mightily.