Are You a Stuffer?by Cheryl Lutz

“Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.”  (Matthew 9:22 NASB)

Hello, Friend:

Have you ever struggled with isolation, fear, anxiety, depression, undiagnosed physical symptoms? I have!

The above verse (spoken by Jesus) is from the story of a woman who had been struggling with a hemorrhage for twelve years.  She followed Jesus in the midst of a crowd, knowing if she could “only touch His garment, she could get well.”  What faith she had in the healing power of Jesus! However, it is important to remember that the most significant healing in this life is spiritual.  Many times our Savior healed the
body and the soul in the same encounter with those drawn to Him.

John 8:36 says, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (NASB)

I sadly confess that for many years as a Christian (and pastor’s wife) I did not walk in this freedom, as I was still in bondage to my past.  I was a “stuffer,” stuffing the pain down deep, never choosing to think about it much less share it. The older I got, the harder it got to keep the pain under the surface.  The pain began to manifest itself in ways that were anything but productive.  As Jo Ann Fore says in her book, “When a Woman Finds Her Voice”:

“Those things we stuff, try so hard to ignore, they are the very things begging for release–the things that hold the promise of hope, the flame of freedom.”

What about you? Are you a stuffer?  It may seem less painful at the moment to stuff, but I assure you it will come out in other ways, such as isolation, fear, anxiety, depression, undiagnosed physical symptoms, etc.  Processing the pain at the moment hurts, but it hurts much more to keep it inside.

“The story you’re scared to share–that story has the power to change both your life and the lives of others.” Jo Ann Fore

 “But Jesus turning and seeing her said, ‘Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.’ At once the woman was made well.” (John 9:22 NASB)

Dear daughter of Jesus, take courage!  As you step out in faith and share your story, you too will be made well.

“Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.”

(from the hymn “Like a River Glorious” by Frances R. Havergal)

Cheryl Lutz is passionate to teach women how to tear down strongholds and find freedom in Christ. A pastor’s wife for twenty-five years, Cheryl possesses a vibrant love for teaching the Word of God. She is the founder of Securely Held, LLC, where she works as a trained and experienced lay counselor and speaker.

You may contact Cheryl through her blog at:www.securelyheld.com

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/securelyheld

Twitter: @clutz40

Email: clutz40@gmail.com