Author Archives: Gigi Thrasher

Things That Go Bump in the Night

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Like most people my age, a night isn’t complete without at least one trip to the bathroom. I’ve come to accept this as a part of life. What I haven’t been able to get over is my fear that something will touch me in the five steps it takes to get from my darkened bathroom to the light switch in the dead of night. It’s a completely irrational fear but I’m truly afraid of things that go bump in the night.

Last night I was analyzing this fear. Was it from childhood? (I mean, I did sleep with a nightlight until I was a teenager.) Why didn’t I have that peace that passes all understanding in the dark? (Good question.) And what exactly did I think was going to touch me?

That last question turned out to be more profound than I expected. Because this was the question the Lord answered.

You’re afraid of something grabbing you in the middle of the night even though you know that it’s extremely unlikely AND YET you are okay with Satan putting his hands all over you in the light of day.

That doesn’t scare you?

Instantly, I saw all the areas of my life I’d allowed the devil to enter. And I was humbled. For while I’d been entertaining irrational fears, something much scarier was happening with my permission.

Do you have irrational fears?

Do they pale in comparison to the horrors you ALLOW in your life?

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11

What is weighing YOU down?

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Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

Isaiah 46:1-2

It’s easy for the things we love to become burdens and to weigh us down. ANYTHING that exalts itself above God is a problem in our lives. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

What is weighing YOU down?

Is it a person? A thing? A desire?

Set your sights on God; let the rest fade away. None of it will matter in the end when you stand before God. Those things that brought you comfort here on Earth will be gone. It will be between you and God alone.

Cast off those burdens that beset you now and go into the Promised Land free!

Do YOU have a clogged drain?

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If you or anyone in your house has long hair, you’ve no doubt encountered clog drains at some point. That hair just wraps around, coiled and unmoving, until no water can pass through at all.

Sometimes a bottle of Drano will help. Sometimes you have to call the plumber. But somebody or something has to get in there and unclog that drain.

Between my long hair and my husband’s almost-as-long beard, we are no strangers to pulling out wads of hair in sink and tub drains.

But the mess I just unclogged wasn’t in my bathroom at all; it was in my heart.

A spiritual clog is ten times worse than a physical one.

I knew there was a battle. I’d even written about it. Car repairs, a needed floor repair, health issues….it seemed like the more that went wrong, the less I turned to God.

Shouldn’t it be the opposite?

But I’m a control freak. Ask anyone; they’ll tell you.

The problem with being a control freak is that you don’t leave much room in your life for God to operate.

When you don’t allow God to operate in YOUR life, He can’t use you in others’ lives.

My husband would ask me, “When are you going to write again?” I’d get frustrated with him. Didn’t he understand? I WANTED to write but had nothing to say. My well was dry.

It was all because of that clog.

Sure, I’d pray. And that still, small voice would gently remind me. You’ve got to let go.

But I couldn’t. Or rather, I wouldn’t.

I’m not sure that I ever made a conscious decision to let go. What I did was I got up, I stopped hiding out from the world, and I became obedient. I visited, I ministered, I shared with those I came in touch with. Little by little, I felt myself letting go. There’s nothing like ministering to others to put your own problems in perspective.

It was as if a bottle of Liquid Plumber had been poured into my heart and unclogged the drain that had been choking the very life out of me.

And just like a real drain, the water became flowing through.

The words I’ve written this week have flowed freely. They’ve bubbled up from inside me and I pray that with each devotion, each blog post, and each chapter the Lord is able to use my words to reach someone else.

I also pray that He helps me keep that need for control in check.

Of all my shortcomings, it’s the one that gets me in trouble the most.