When and How to Wear Your Rose - Colored Glasses

     Hello. My name is Dayla Smith. Let me welcome you to My Little House of Prayer. Today I want to talk about when and how to wear your rose colored glasses.  “Huh? Do what? What do you mean by this? I didn’t know we had to wear rose colored glasses in our walk.” You might be thinking. Most of us know that when you accuse someone of wearing  rose colored glasses, we are saying that they are not facing reality. Have you ever been accused of wearing rose colored glasses? Has this happened to you for the cause of Christ? This has happened to me for the cause of Christ. Let me share my testimony.

    

      Growing up, I was always accused of being naive, or gullable. Well,I got saved in october of 1993. I began  walking with the Lord. I get saved and baptized in the Holy Ghost. The next thing I experience is His delivering hand. I was so bound up, I couldn’t read the word of God. When I could, it was like I had holes in me. It would just run out. After my deliverance, I consumed all 4 gospels in a month like a starving child. And, I could tell you what I read. I knew that I knew He had delivered me. Well slowly, the Lord started dealing with me about forgiveness. First, I had to forgive myself of the sins I had committed. Especially toward others. Most of that was easy. Not all of it. But most of it. Which in turn meant I had to receive forgiveness from others. I Guess you can see where this is going. Anyway, the next step was that I had to forgive others. Most were easy. But, then the Lord zeroed in on my unforgiveness towards my father. I remember my brother in Christ telling me that I had to forgive him. I said, “Nope! Not doin’ it.” “Dayla, you have to. You won’t make heaven your home if you don’t.” he replied. I remember turning around with all the venom and anger I had in me and loudly said, “ When that man dies I will dance on His grave. I will never forgive him.” My brother in Christ tried to talk to me. But, I wouldn’t listen. When you grow up under abuse, especially as a lost person, you find it very hard to forgive. Well, lesson #1: Don’t ever say never and let the Lord hear you. He knew what was going to have to happen. He was going to help me forgive by removing a bitter root out of me. You heard me. The precious Holy Spirit worked on me. One evening, I was coming back from a bible study.

I was riding in the back of a car. I began to argue with the Lord. Everyone around me could hear my side of the conversation. I personally think at that moment they all thought that I was nuts. I know that if I were them, I would have. Let me tell you that no one expected what came next. I scared them and me at that moment. They were bringing me home. As we got by house, I literally jumped out of the moving vehicle. I ran into my apartment. Shut and locked the door. Turned off all of the lights. And, ran into my bathroom and huddled up in a corner. It became as still as a churchmouse in my apartment. At that moment, the Lord gently and lovingly said, “Dayla, don’t you know I Am the Door.” At that moment, I began to cry,”Daddy it hurts so much.” After that, I barely remember going into my living room and laying down on my couch. It was in the afternoon and the seat of my couch was a plywood board. No blankets whatsoever. I laid down and went to sleep. When I awoke it was dark outside. I was disoriented. I felt like I was in my soft bed all covered up with my covers. I awoke and was different. I was no longer bitter. I had real joy. I didn’t immediately realize the veracity of what happened. But, I knew I was different. Then, the Lord took me on a walk of forgiveness. You see, he couldn’t do anything till He got the root of the problem out. The Lord does not believe in just putting a bandaid on your wounds and walking away hoping you heal on your own. That’s the beauty of the cross. He was wounded for our transgressions. Bruised for iniquity. And, by His stripes we are healed. He takes His finger and touches on the place that He wants to heal, and then, He starts scrubbing   and removing the debris. Then He puts His salve in the wound. And Heals you of every disease. He heals us of  every emotionally charged memory. And if this isn’t enough, He sets us free. 

       Now, forgiveness towards my parents took some time. But, after that night, I kept saying .“ I  forgive them, Lord.” The Lord chose to teach me about forgiveness. I am forever grateful to the Lord for being so patient with me. For taking His time with me. For surrounding me with people that spoke His wisdom in my life. If you are unteachable, you are unreachable. He took time, and walked with me through all of the muck and the mire in my heart. He is still walking me through it. But, forgiveness is getting easier and easier. 

         After that night, He began to send teachings to me. He took me through the scriptures. This didn’t happen overnight. It took some years to get me here. 

Exodus 34:7 Numbers 14:18 2 Chronicles 7:14 Matthew 6:12 -15; 18:21-35 Mark 11:22-26

Luke 23:34 Ephesians 4:32 Ephesians 1:7

You see Jesus led by example. You say you can’t. He says you can. Because of the life He lived and His great sacrifice we all can. One afternoon, He came into my living room and said, “That is way too much power to give to someone.” “huh?” He peated, “That is way too much power to give someone. Yes, he stole your childhood. Why would you hand him your salvation, too?” “You know Lord, you're right. That is way too much power to give him. “ You say, “Alright, I can forgive but I can’t forget. I say ok. Forgive and let God handle your memory. Over time he handled mine. It was on Easter Sunday. I spent the weekend with my mother who spent the entire time taking my daughter and I to one relative after another to make fun of me. My heart was broken. I got my daughter and I dressed and went to church. I ran to the altar. There I layed both my parents there. I told the Lord I was not going to take them back from the altar. I wanted to forgive like He does. With the sin cast as far to the east as to the west in the sea of forgetfulness. Never to take it back again. I went home. Any time you make a stand for Jesus, Satan will try to test you. To prove you. So, be ready. Immediately that evening, I got a phone call. It was my father. He called to tell me that he gave the last of my inheritance to a sibling of mine. I grew quiet. I looked up and said to myself, “I see him, Jesus. And, I meant what I said. As far to the east as to the west in the sea of forgetfulness. It’s alright dad.” Then, he began to defend himself. I kept telling him that I understood and it was alright. Eventually, he decided to accept what I was saying. He hung up. Weeks later stuff that was supposed to be mine and were taken started showing up in different unforeseen places. First, my aunt had some pictures she had found for me that she didn’t want to lose. Then, my grandma found a photo album she didn’t want to lose before it made it to me. After my daughter was born, one of my sisters decided it was time to come see me and her. She brought a friend for moral support. The friend was supposed to side with my sister. She met me at my friend’s home. We were outside. She began to try to argue with me about my relationship with my father. How could I still be speaking to him after all he has done to us? As I tried to explain what the Lord had done in my heart, and that Forgiveness wasn’t for him, but for me. I tried to explain why and what the Lord had revealed to me about forgiveness. Her friend began to amen me. And told her she needed to listen to me and what I was saying. I could tell she was getting aggravated at her support that was starting to side with me. She kept accusing me of having rose-colored glasses on. I was dripping with the anointing as she kept on accusing me and I kept trying to share the freedom the Lord had given me with her. After she gave up trying to convince me in her argument and left. I went inside the house of my friend who had remained inside the whole time. I was praying for my sister and her friend. But, I also went to God, “Lord, is she right? Do I have on rose-colored glasses?” He softly replied to me, “Yes. Yes you do.” Then, He declared, “I Am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley! You have my glasses on!” My friend looked at me with big eyes. “ I know He just told you something. What was it?” So, I shared it with her. Over the years the Lord has kept on giving me back what the enemy tried to steal from me. Not because of who I am, in and of myself. But, because of who He is and His forgiveness principle. Do you want to wear His rose-colored glasses? Forgive like Him. See people as He sees them. This is when and how to wear your rose-colored glasses. Just a side note: My father and I have grown very close. He has acknowledged his abuse on me and truly repented asking for my forgiveness. My other siblings who have been abused by him and haven't forgiven him still haven't received an apology. How awesome is this.