My kids love music! They especially love anything with a good beat or guitar solo. Logan has been begging for weeks for me to let the Choir sing Glorious Day by Passion. So, finally, I made it happen. Wow! What a powerful song! Have you ever just listened to the message? It’s easy to miss the message when you are a singer or musician because you are so focused on notes, tempo and chords. I am so thankful that my 7-year-old made me slow down and listen. If you haven’t heard this song or done it at your Church, DO IT! As I prepared for service, I began to think of the words of all the songs on our set list and I asked myself, “What is your tomb?”

My tomb was fear and self-doubt, it was rejection and loneliness. That was until I experienced my resurrection and became completely healed by my savior. How do we end up in a tomb of our own creation? How can we spiral so far out of control? It doesn’t feel good when we are being broken and worked over. It can be hard to see God in the middle of our chaos but trust me, He’s there. Taking our focus from our walk with God and putting it on our circumstance is the first mistake we make. Once we have lost focus, the enemy’s job is really easy.

All of our failures, sins, weights and short comings become our tomb until we make the choice to surrender completely to the only one who can set us free. Your friends can’t set you free, your parents can’t set your free, your Pastor can’t even set you free. Heaven is a personal choice and no one can want it for you. That is a heavy truth and learning it changed my perspective as a struggling young woman. I ran as fast as I could to get my freedom, I wanted it more than anything. I wanted better for myself. I wanted to use my trials to help someone else.

Rejection and fear had taken enough from me. Loneliness seemed to be my permanent destination but there was someone higher looking out for me. It didn’t matter how many people had left me and walked away from me, I had a friend in Jesus. His word says, He will never leave us or forsake us.

Today as I was driving down the road, I looked into the big bright blue sky and sang praises to my God. I thanked Him for keeping me from so much, I thanked Him for showing me that I did matter and my life does have purpose. Have you been there? I had nothing to ask for, just praise. He has transformed my life and He did His best work when I felt completely alone!

My tomb was meant to hold me forever but the energy from my light was too powerful. Now, all that is left are the scars that remind me of just how much God has done for me. The holes and cracks in my heart are sealed with His grace and mercy. His love floods my spirit and all I have is great thanks. I don’t deserve the life God has blessed me with and I will never understand why He chose me but He did. He always finds me, without fail.

Just like the song says, “there’s no wall you won’t kick down, lie you won’t tear down coming after me.”……. This line makes me cry every time because it reminds me of all the ways the enemy tried to not just slow me down but completely annihilate me. I am an overcomer and you know what? You can be too! Keep fighting for the girl you want to be, soon you will find that no one can fight for her like you can. His grace is free, there are no strings attached. It is there like a giant bucket challenge just waiting for someone to dump it on your head so it can wash over you and cleanse you from whatever it is holding you back!

I had a friend recently tell me that she likes tough love when it comes to her walk with God. She said “If I ever leave the Church, I want you annoyingly banging on my front door every single day. Tell me the hard things that others might be afraid to say, just don’t give up on me.”We laughed about it then because she’s so tiny but yet has so much fire inside of her. I just couldn’t stop thinking about our conversation and wondering if more of us had that “no holds barred”kind of attitude, instead of closing the doors of Churches, we wouldn’t be able to build enough! I promise you Shelby, here in front of the world wide web, I will fight for you and every other girl I know! I will fight for the ones who are prisoners in a tomb of their own making. I will fight for the girls who I don’t yet know and the ones I will never meet because I was once a girl begging for anyone to fight for me. I kept all my insecurities buried deep where they couldn’t be seen because I was too afraid of being cast aside. That’s what happens sometimes when we are honest about what we are going through and so, we become prisoners. Stand with me, speak out without bias, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, God is here waiting on you. The Church is here behind you and together, we are going to grow in Christ as we reach those who are so lost, they can’t remember the way back. Let’s go get them. God doesn’t want you to walk through your pain alone, He’s not looking to give you an assist, He wants to take it from you completely.

So, ask yourself honestly, “What is my tomb?”… What is holding me back from becoming who I’m meant to be in Christ? Once you speak it out without hesitation, that tomb will start to crumble. The stone will roll away and you will start a new life, free from the shadows that have taken over your life. Follow my lead, call His name and let his ocean of grace cover every dark place in your life. He is ready to rescue you from the chains that bind you. You have to fearlessly say “NO MORE! I WILL NOT BOUND BY THE CHAINS THAT THREATEN WHO I AM MEANT TO BE.”

My sincere goal is to raise up a movement of strong young women and men who are unafraid of their past. There is no rule that was ever written that says just because you come from something complicated, dark or ugly that you have to stay there. Let’s extinguish that demon once and for all! God has called you to greatness and if you believe that you can have more, you will have more. Your mind will play games with your emotions the stronger you get. Put them to rest as you go to prayer, turn your playlist up and thank God for all He has done, continues to do and will do.

I’m right here with you girl and we are going to put on our pink boxing gloves together and get to work. When you are scared to do the work, it’s ok, I’ll do it for you. This is how we do it where I’m from, we fight for each other! God’s got you and so do I. Now, let’s run with eyes wide open, breathing His love deep in our lungs, without looking back as we gain confidence in Jesus Christ. He’s ready to take the baton just call His name.

Can you feel it? That’s the energy pulsating through your veins, preparing to break free from the darkness of your tomb… Let it out!

XO- Denisha