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I was at the dentist recently to deal with a couple of cavities. I'm not a fan of the dentist. I don't mean my dentist personally, but rather going to see any dentist to deal with stuff wrong with my teeth. Why? Because, more often than not, it hurts. Sure, it isn't awful in the moment (if you ignore my hyperactive gag reflex) because everything is frozen. But give it a few hours for the anesthetic to wear off and the effect of all the pushing and pulling on the teeth to settle in, and . . . OOOOWWWW!!!

So why do I go to the dentist? Because I know that the long-term pain of not getting issues with my teeth dealt with would be significantly greater than the short-term pain I experience.

There are a lot of experiences in life which are like this - where short-term discomfort or effort or even pain will lead to long-term benefit, well being, and health.

The invitation of Jesus is often to open ourselves up to things which might be hard or painful in order to experience a life that was previously not possible. Jesus talked about "dying daily," taking up our cross and following him. And he came offering "life . . . life to the full." He says, "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." This dying to some things - surely a painful experience - is necessary to open ourselves up to the life full of joy and love Jesus came to offer.

One example of this was witnessed at June Byer's Celebration of Life. Many people present spoke about their experience with June in the Freedom Seekers program that used to operate at Covenant. They spoke about how being willing to engage with difficult elements from their past opened them up to enjoying joy and vibrancy in the present. Sure it opened up "a can of worms," but it led to a place of freedom.

What painful path might God be inviting you down in order to truly enjoy the life he longs for you to live? Perhaps it might involve acknowledging and embracing your limits and saying no to things others expect of you. Maybe it is taking steps to care for your health. It could be saying "yes" to joining a community through a house church or through getting involved in a ministry. Possibly you need to join the next Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and/or Emotionally Healthy Relationships course to begin working through some deep parts of your life you've spent much of your life avoiding. Or it could be that God is inviting you to do one of the most difficult things of all . . . forgive - to stop allowing past hurt to control your present.

Maybe you're at a place where you need help to consider where God is leading you. If you would like help on this journey, we have some people at Covenant who are trained as transformational coaches who would be happy to find time to walk this journey with you for a time - not to tell you where to go, but to help you discern God's leading.

So spend some time praying and asking God what hard and narrow path he might be leading you on and be open to the life he wants to give you as you journey through it. And if you want someone to walk with you for a while, let me know (jon@covenantchurch.ca) and we can see about connecting you with someone!