Last week on Tuesday Tea Time we discussed the thorn in our sides speaking on the many thorns in our lives. Powerful discussion. On today, we will be going deeper.

The Unseen Thorns We Create.

 How many thorns have we created? It makes me think of the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 where Jesus told a story with the disciples and the Pharisees.Teaching it is in the decisions that we make that makes our consequences and self created thorns. Also, it makes me think of Pharaoh not taking heed to God’s warnings to let His people go in Exodus 5. Because of his stubbornness he not only lost his only child as a self created thorn but his very life! That leads me to Paul and the many thorns he had in his walk. What we really need to ask ourselves is whether our decisions are of the flesh or for God’s righteousness? As we examine which ones they are, we will indeed answer the above question if they are fleshly or for God! Yes Jesus is gracious and mighty to save but doesn’t mean we won’t have consequences which are our self created thorns!  That leads me to share some stories of mine! As I do think of the thorns in your life, what impact it made and what lesson was learned!

When I was younger I told my best friend I heard my angels protecting me by guiding me. She told me she didn’t hear hers. I used to tease by saying my angels have to be louder as I’m stubborn. When I was a teenager, I got out of city college early. I had a choice. I can tell the truth and go home right away or don’t tell my parents and go see my boyfriend that at that time lived in a nearby town. I decided to go see him. As I got on the freeway, there was a big rig to the left of the slow lane. I heard speed up or slow down! I didn’t listen as I did not want to speed up being a new driver. The driver came over the metal on his car scrapping into mine. The truck went back. Again, loudly I heard speed up or slow down! I thought nope! They know I’m here as they already went back! Well, they came back in my lane but with a vengeance. Pushing me off the freeway causing my car to teeter totter over the ledge leading to a ditch down below. Everytime I tried to move to get out it  felt like the car was gonna go down the hill which would hit a humongous eucalyptus tree.

Frozen in fear, I could not move. Calling on Jesus to help me! Along came an older couple (my angel in my opinion) in a truck with a camper shell. She took my hand with the most calming voice I’ve ever heard and told me to come. I told her I couldn’t move saying that it would fall. She said it was ok! To take her hand and come on out! As soon as I took her hand it plummeted to the bottom hitting the tree. The lady had me call the police and left before I could even thank her. The policeman came and told me if I didn’t get out when I did I wouldnt be here! God’s grace had saved me! My thorns? The policeman at 17 had me call my dad. Telling him where I was. What had happened to me, to my car, that I lied and having to face the consequences.

Could I have died? Yes! Did God save me by His grace? Yes! Did I have to deal with self made thorns? Of course I did and they could have been prevented! Self made thorns! My whole life was stories like these! Another time again when I was driving. I had looked down for a split second to a text. When I looked up my tire slightly hit the divider island making my car do three spins across all the lanes in heavy traffic hitting no one and my car went full speed like a crash dummy car. Ahead of me was a metal rod you see on the side of the road. It was going to go through my chest and my stomach.

I quickly called Jesus and immediately my car miraculously  turned, having it go through my engine and not me! I totaled my car! Jesus saved me again! My thorns? I had no car insurance. It had run out a day before the accident. You see, I was late paying! They wanted $20,000 all at once! I tried to work with them to make payments to them despite having no car until paid but nope! I ended up transported to the hospital to check for injuries. Consequences we create that could have been prevented are our self created thorns! They are not always seen to warn us ahead of time. But, if we are transparent and honest, if we do the right thing they will be prevented altogether.

If I would have done the right thing and gone home? Listened to my angel? That could have been prevented! If I would have ignored the text? That wouldn’t have happened to my car! Even people I chose to date. My angels were trying to warn me. To show me signs and things I should have listened to! What are your self created thorns? What are they right now? What is God asking us to let go of? What is it God is asking us to stay connected to? Is he telling us to leap? Or to be still? To trust? To stay? Or to run? As we go in our day in our lives in our prayer times let us be bold and courageous!

To ask the Father to show us our self created thorns we went through learning from them! To expose the ones that are there today and seek Him and what He is trying to get us to do! He knows every mistake we are going to make before we make it so He’s got us! He’s waiting with open arms to have us turn back to Him! Moving forward in my life, I want less and less consequences. As we ponder, pray, seek the Father, let’s ask ourselves if all the self created thorns are worth it or are we ready to listen, take heed and move. Help us Father as we go through this life to see the things we are creating and the ones you are having remain for purpose. Help lead us teach us and show us Father the way through this life having a teachable spirit to learn the first time around not having to repeat lessons until learned in Jesus mighty name amen. As we go through this week let us relinquish the towel to the Father so we can get to where He is truly trying to get us to be as His body as one. God bless you.