a true story about being hidden.

Hi Naptime readers, I'm Annabelle and this is a true story from this week.

I have been reading in Colossians the past little bit and this week 3:1-4 hit home, especially this,

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" and this, "For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Hidden.  Hidden?  That stuck out to me.  My life is hidden in Christ.  I work against this every. day.  Every day I want to exist.  I want praise.  I want to be seen outside of Christ.  I get so territorial about my life and my existence.   But the only thing waiting for me outside of Christ, is bondage to those things I so crave praise and adoration from.  Slavery to having it all together;  cooking great meals, encouraging and teaching Oliver, having a great shop, writing great posts, biblically disciplining ...Those things which can be good gifts from the Lord get skewed into being gods and then I'm just "dead in my sins."

Every day, life is to be found in dying to myself.  Every. Day. I must die.

And in dying, I can be "raised with Christ!"  With Christ, who conquered the grave!  Christ who rose to perfect, full, free LIFE!  I am raised with Him!  Isn't that wonderful?!  To know, that every day Christ reigns and in being hidden in Him, sin does not have authority over me.

It's wonderful.  But every day I struggle, stubbornly clinging to my ways and habits that fit, so nicely, in this world, giving in to "what if" fears and holding, no clinging to my dear loves.

And so, I am daily trying die and let Christ live.  And it is a battle.