Some Truth and Freedom

   Today I was reflecting on a time in my life where a life line was held out to me during a particularly desperate time. This life line was in the form of a tender hearted woman who was older than me. I had told her my troubles. It was the first time I had ever met her. She listened to all the parts of me as I spilled out, all my heart ache. After I was finished and spent she looked at me and said simple but powerful words ~ Tansy ~ the truth will set you free; now lets find truth. It might not have been exactly those words but 'the truth will set you free' and finding my truth was the gist of it.

  From that moment on I was walking on a totally different life road then ever before. One time she gave me this word picture about someone walking down the same road over and over and each time they would fall into the same pot hole in the middle of it. No matter how many times they walked down the road they would fall again and again. They ignored signs and cautions and mostly it was because they were in such a low place they never looked up. She told me that one day they looked up just before they were going to fall in again and still fell in but that there was a bit of awareness. The next time they managed to get around it and eventually they just didn't go down that road ever again. I don't know if you know where I am going with this because I am scattered I know. what I am saying is that I feel like once we get to a certain place of self awareness our brain is so much more capable of choosing to not just not fall into that pot hole but to completely steer clear of that road! It takes WORK and sometimes its your life work.

  This is me. I am trying to, as much as possible, take a different road then in the past. To forge ahead and create new roads, new pathways that are healthier, safer, clearer, and with that I create roads that my children, if they so choose, can follow.

  I wanted to share some truths that I came to realize ~ with this lady gently guiding me ~ and with time others as well, all with God nudging truth softly into my heart and spirit day after day never giving up.

Here they are:

We are not alone

As a mother I often feel alone in my house with my children and it just feels unnatural to me! I feel like my sister should be with me, or my mom, or my husband, or a friend. Call me crazy but I feel lonely often. So I have realized that with Jesus I am never alone and that because I do have love in the form of God and friends and family I am never truly alone no matter how I feel!!! The truth is truth.

We need boundaries to live well.

You might not have heard of this before. There are some good books on boundaries by Doctor Henry Cloud and Doctor John Townsend. My mom introduced me to these books and after reading them and getting some counselling around it. I realize the power of being able to say no. I realized the fear around it and the pain as well (in saying no to people)....and realized it was okay. When you don't have boundaries people can use you, walk all over you, and it causes a lot of anxiety. My boundaries have gotten a lot stronger and more defined as time has gone on. At times it hasn't been pretty. However it makes living easier on everyone in your life if they know where they stand with you.

Understanding Our Past can help us go forward to a healthier future.

There is power in self awareness. How can that come if we don't have any understanding of what and where we have come? Do you know how your mother's pregnancy went with you? Did you go through trauma as a child? Were your parents marriage healthy? There are so many things that make you YOU and when you peel back the layers and realize WHY you struggle with what you do and what you struggle WITH, well it gives you a pretty fair chance to make different choices full of health rather than going around in all the patterns you may have been stuck in for a very long time.

We were created to live in a garden and nature nurtures and heals us.

Since I believe in creation and believe that there was a first man and woman created...they were created to enjoy a garden. Even if you do not believe in creation I think it is pretty obvious to anyone with any self awareness to realize the power and healing of being out in nature. If you have never really thought about it before...one day when things are really going wrong...take a water bottle, snack, first aid kit if that feels right, blanket and whatever else you feel you  need and go sit by a lake, or ocean or walk down a forest path. While you are there listen, smell, and feel how your body does. Nature somehow resets us and helps us to feel more centered. It is important to me to remember this.

We were created to live in families and to have connection and attachment. We were NOT created to be alone and isolated.

This is a huge truth for me. It has been such a light bulb for me in regards to improved mental health and my soul feeling full of light. Attachment brings joy! If you struggle with darkness you may also be struggling with healthy attachment and trust.

We have unique gifts and talents not to be pushed aside or de valued.

Every single person in this world is unique and every one has gifts all their own. When they are supported in those gifts and seen for all that they really ~ they blossom like a beautiful flower.

Nothing we have ever done is unforgiveable. God doesn't really seem to have a grading system for sin. It is all ~ just simply~ sin. Ask for forgiveness and he just says yes. You are forgiven. No condemnation, no questions, just a yes and then ~ It is forgotten!!!

There are consequences in life for each action.

That is pretty simple but sometimes we seem to think there shouldn't be consequences and everything is God's fault.

We are ALWAYS loved perfectly by God. He knows our hearts.


So these are some things that help me remember who I am and why I am. I think truth in love is the most powerful force and does bring freedom.

Love Tansy