I’m a Piñata…

There are moments in life that other people can make you feel on top of the world. Their actions and words increase your self-value. You are a better person because they exist. Now, on the other side of that bridge are people that get inside of your soul and infect your spirit like a plague. I suppose as a Christian I should pray for these people, but I am honest when I say I don’t want to. Yes, I know that is not very Christian, and I actually have an extreme amount of guilt for feeling that way. However, when I continually encounter the hatred of certain people, I find the plague within my spirit spreading. I am a VERY passionate person. Passion can be an extreme gift or cause for severe heartache. When one passionately pours all of who they are into something, it is easy for them to be knocked down and hurt because there is so little of them left at the moment.

Several years ago, I encountered a leadership position that allowed me to be active in the lives of many teenagers around me. I will spare the details, but during that time others took whacks at me as if I was a piñata. The contents of the piñata, known as Lana, began to spill out, and I was very close to being completely empty and damaged beyond repair. However, God spoke through the words and actions of a group of teenagers. During a brief conversation with a couple of guys, I realized that my passion and compassion was having a positive impact on the Kingdom. SCREW you, piñata beaters!! When you find a sign that says “We love Lana” displayed for all to see, the contents of the piñata slowly regenerate and your spirit begins the healing process. Not to say the piñata beaters don’t continue to throw destructive measures my way because they do.  The reason for this post is because that same beater is taking whacks at someone close to me.

However, I will NEVER let someone take away my passion and my compassion for others. The thing about piñata beaters is they will come into your life and then go because their compassion for others tends to be overshadowed by self. They simply use you to move themselves higher. My God says in Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 and 4, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” With that piñata beater, I pray to God for resolve in forgiving you, and I ask God to heal the plague you placed upon my spirit and to allow my spirit to become immune to your efforts.

Let’s end this post with an experiment. At this very moment, you could be the voice of God to someone in need. I am sure there are people in your life that have had or continue to have a positive impact on your life. Tell them! Show them! I am certain that God uses our voices and actions to build up His kingdom. We just have to let Him. Also, we need to actively listen to others so we won't miss God's voice. I promise you those teenage boys had no idea the things they said to me that night would change me, but hearing those words made my purpose in that moment crystal clear. Further words (spoken and written), from other teenagers along my journey, continue to assure me that God can and does use this old, beat-up piñata!!