I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. It was more like chaos and confusion than a safe-haven. I learned some of the hardest lessons during that time. Trust, forgiveness and unconditional love were foreign to me. I still carry a lot of the scars from that life even though I’ve been a Christian for 27 years. My habits, my personality, my upbringing still stick with me in many ways. I can feel the negative effect they have on me when I’m weak. I’ll call it, the pit. It’s where I don’t want to be and I bet if I asked you….you’d say the same about something in your past too. Isn’t satan crafty?
I’ve met other women that have been stuck in the pit. Maybe it was a childhood of sexual abuse that led them there or the loss of a loved one. Either way, they were trapped and held hostage by the enemy pit. I have a friend that deals with migraines. She’s been pretty much held prisoner by these headaches for all of her adult life. When I spent time talking with her…..I found she was also mistreated as a child and then went on to marry a very unloving and cold husband. She was in a pit! Not only was she in it….but she felt she could never get out. To aggrevate the situation even further her adult children live their lives totally contrary to what God expects of them. To say she feels a bit hopeless would be an understatement. The pit! It’s slimy and dangerous!
My own pit encounter’s have been many. You’d think it wouldn’t be so easy to fall into one, but that’s not so. Each of us are susceptible to them. Some believe that depression is just a pit. While I think it can be, I do believe that depression is a REAL thing and if you’re in it….get medical help. God has provided us that help and we should utilize it for our benefit. The same goes for counseling. There used to be such a negative stigma linked to seeking help that way. Nonsense! I have met some amazing Christian counselor’s over the years and I know many who have made major life changes through the help of a counselor. Sometimes just finding a mentor to talk to can help. I’ve had that too. Seek out someone wiser and trustworthy if you can’t afford counseling.
What are some ways to fall into the pit? See if any of these describe something you have felt in your life. Friend, if you are a pit-dweller….I pray that you will see it and grab ahold of something now to get out. I love the words of David in Psalm 40:2, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand”. Oh yes, He did! And He will for you too.
Pit Makers!
Growing up in an alcoholic/drug abuser home
Losing a child
Watching a loved one suffer
Divorce/rejection/extramarital affair
Sexual abuse/rape
Mental illness
Physical/emotional abuse
Dysfunctional home
Birth of a handicapped child
Financial ruin/bankruptcy/job loss
Watching someone you love go to jail/prison
Lord Jesus,
I pray for my friend reading this post that feels like they’ve fallen in the pit and can’t escape. I know through you and your power that no pit can hold her. God pull her out and fill her with your hope. Let her feel your unconditional love and grace on her life. You Lord do lift us up and set us on firm ground. Thank you Jesus!
Amen.