Today at lunch I took the time to make my manicotti for dinner. Someone please give me a high-five for thinking ahead! Cooking the jumbo shell noodles is one of the first steps. It took a few minutes but the water was a full rolling boil by the end of the required 15 minutes. I noticed though just as soon as I turned the heat off, the bubbles stopped. I figured there might be some lag time as heat dissipated but no, it was instant. I couldn’t help but think back to my confession of my emotional affair to Scott. Before the confession, I felt like that rolling boil inside. Truly, as if my stomach had been put in a pot of boiling water. I was a mess dealing with all my deceit and other emotions. But when I confessed, it was like someone had turned the heat off. Sure, I still had some inner turmoil going on but that sickening feeling disappeared immediately.
That boiling pot also reminds me of what we should be bubbling over with: joy. But deceit and joy can’t coexist. Proverbs says There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace. There could be many reasons you aren’t joyful right now but if you’re not, I challenge you to ask yourself if there is any deceit in your life.
What are you covering up?
Refusing to talk about?
Hoping no one finds out?
Doing when no one is looking?
Find someone to confess it to. Confess to the Lord. I know it’s scary. Really, I do. You feel like no one has been there. No one understands. No one will like you. No one can help you. No one will look at you the same. No one will forgive you. But we’ve all got stuff. And those are just lies from Satan to keep you in your deceitful behaviors. The longer we keep it in, the longer we don’t have our joy and that means the longer someone doesn’t see God’s glory displayed through you to its full potential. So let me help. How would you finish this sentence?
I haven’t told anyone this, but I [have been] _______________________.
Now go find someone to email or speak that sentence to privately. Really. Your joy is at stake.
I talk a lot more about deceit, confession and joy in my eBook Entangled. I’d love for you to check it out if you haven’t. And if you have, please hop over to Amazon and leave your review.
“But deceit and joy can’t coexist.”
I read this when you blogged it 2 days ago and I’m still thinking about it. That’s so true, as much as I’d sometimes like to convince myself the contrary: deceit and joy can’t coexist. I’ve been there. Even the littlest of things have eaten away at me.
And you made manicotti at lunch? That’s some serious Mom multi-tasking. Kudos! And thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I bookmarked that little gem for next week
Wishing you & your sweet family a terrific Thanksgiving, Amy!
Ally, you won’t believe it but out of that whole post I nearly deleted that one line, or at least diminished its impact. I truly felt like it was the right thing to say even if it’s tough to process.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh wow! I’m so glad you didn’t delete that line. It’s stayed with me for days now. And it’s the reason I had a heart to heart confessional with my Mom tonight. Long over due and a tough conversation to initiate (on a holiday especially), but I literally feel like I can breathe better tonight.
I love you Amy, and I thank you immensely. I really needed this post.
Wow, wow, wow! God is so good. So good to hear you stepped out and did something. Proud of you!
yeah that’s the one line that stuck out to me in this post too.