Accepting acceptance
Tina Rickard 25th March 2007
This has become very real to Tina over the past year, seeing and understanding how God sees and accepts her.
Valley of despair
This is where her journey began – not a nice place to be but a very real place to be. Wondered how she would ever reach the point where she could accept how Jesus thinks of her. Felt hopeless, that she'd made a mess of things, not sure about where God was and whether he was in it. Couldn't see a way out.
She did 15 months of discipleship counselling with Val Smith. Felt she needed to address her relationship with God and take responsibility for it. Romans 3 v 34 whatever is not from God is sin. Felt she needed to get to a place of trusting God.
Things began to shift in a positive way, Tina felt that she needed to know God more and know her place in his love for her.
Middle earth
The counselling with Val came to an end, Tina wondered what to do now, she felt lost, and started to drift. The seeds planted by the counselling were about moving on and healing, but she couldn't quite grasp it, couldn't anchor it.
Tina drifted for 6 months, walked away from God in her heart. Had no vision for what God was trying to say to her. But God turned her around, she started to walk towards the valley of hope.
Hope
In January 2006 Tina was given a word about estrangement. She knew this was about God wanting her to be in relationship with him. Isiaih 43 v 1-7 about God's love even in a hard place.
She wrote in her journal lots about abandonment, surrender and acceptance. Processed all about acceptance.
God also called her back through a word about needing a vision and a hope. Hosea 2 v 14-15, which was originally given to her in January 1997, and now God recounted it back to her. About starting over again.
Tina was bowled over by God's calling her back, loves her, accepts her.
Acceptance in God means nothing else matters, acceptance covers everything. For example Tina was trying to move on in her job, but hasn't got anywhere with it. The idea of letting go seemed scary but in the context of acceptance it's about her relationship with God.
Accepting acceptance is a heart matter, God wants our hearts. Accept God's peace in difficult or painful situations. 'Abbas Child' by Brennan Manning is an excellent book. Especially the chapter about living in the awareness of our beloved-ness.
Acceptance also means saying I can't do this I need your help God.
Tina's not there yet but is on a positive track, learning about acceptance.
Surrender and abandonment are part of the picture about acceptance. Giving something up but giving it up to God. Lots of positive emotions came out of this for Tina eg anticipation, loyalty, optimism, kindness, self respect.
God got Tina's attention, called her back, the question for us is is there something going on in your life that you can't deal with, and God's trying to get your attention.
If God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it.
Listen to him, to what he's got to say. | 
