"Earn Your Keep!"

For the past year or so Clive's been pushing me to start a learning channel so I could "earn some money" to fund the ministry I'm doing. For some reason it's made me feel like a bewildered deer being pushed into a corner. I've said it many times before, my focus isn't business & I have to learn to trust that God will provide whatever I need to do the ministry He's called me to. For some reason the mere thought of running a business totally overwhelms me. He wants the learning channel to launch in March, a decision he had made without my collaboration & the more he pushes to get things done, the more triggered I become.

Finally he decided to pull out & just support me in whatever I wanted to do whenever I'm ready & withdrew to his study after which found myself  overwhelmed & frustrated in the garden pulling out the overgrown grass edges he was going to do whilst on holiday. I spent the next hour or so crying & pulling out overgrowth until I finally had to stop just because my back was aching & couldn't handle any more.

Then the Lord gave me a memory....

When I was about 16, mom decided I should go to hotel school because it would be a waste of time for me to complete high school. I would live in the hotel, she would "take care" of my salary & give me pocket money. I dared not disagree & felt I had no choice in the matter as she drove me to the Holiday Inn in VanderbijIpark to meet will the manager. However, he disagreed I insisted I come back after I finished high school.

It was dark & raining by the time we drove back home. By the time we got to the N1 onramp mom had to pull off the road & wait for the storm to settle before continuing the journey home. The atmosphere in the car during the hour long drive was palpable, not a word uttered by either of us.

I made some judgements about mom & the experience

• Mom's love is conditional to how I can benefit her
• I'm not good enough to get job
• If I don't earn money, I'm worthless.
• Do as you're told irrespective of how it makes you feel.
• My opinions & feelings are not important.

I came to expect that

• I won't be valued unless I contribute financially
• People will always use me for their benefit.
• My opinions don't matter I will be dismissed.
• I won't be heard.

I protected my heart with some Inner Vows

• I would shut up.
• I will comply & follow orders.
• I won't make waves.
• I'll be useful.
• I'll be driven to earn my keep.
• I'll sacrifice my own needs & opinions to keep the peace.

I came to  believe the LIES that

• I'm worthless if I can't contribute financially
• I have to earn my keep.
• My opinions don't matter.
• I'm not important

What present day fruit do you see that might come from this? (Fruit)

• Anger Outbursts
• Fear of failure & success
• Procrastination
• Self Sabotage
• Drivenness to do & be a contributor.

How big is the anger / fear etc.?

• Ginormous elephant in the room.

If that fear / anger could talk, what would it say?

• fear - I'll be rejected if I'm not contributing
• anger - mom never considered / respected ME.

Having put to death all these lies, judgments, expectations & vows, I can now finally rest in the knowledge, that even if I don't do anything that brings in money, I'm still valuable & loved, not for what I can contribute, but for WHO I am.