Hey PEACHES,
Resurrection Sunday has just passed and while it wasn’t the most fulfilling time to celebrate, most chose to take the time to cook, chill, and spend time with family members via video chat or other methods of communication.
Unable to have dinner with my own extended family, it became a time of meditation and reflection. As most know, Resurrection Sunday is about celebrating Jesus and that glorious moment that He arose from the dead. It’s really a beautiful feeling to sit and think about the love that Jesus had for us and to know that He gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Matthew 28:6
He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (NKJV)
When Christ died for us, He chose to forgive the thief on his side. After all that he dealt with, he chose to forgive. How many of us can say that we could just forgive, especially after going through an ordeal like that. Well just like Jesus, we need to learn to forgive, forget, and move on. No matter how hard it may seem, we have to find a way to be free from hurt and pain. Even if it takes some time, do what you have to do to breathe again.
If you have ever used the YouVersion Bible App, then you know that they have great Bible plans available to gain personal knowledge and growth. I was recently notified of a plan called “Unoffendable” by Ryan Leak, a great read if you can find the time.
The other day, I finished Day 9 out of 10, and while I won’t divulge the entirety of the lesson, I will say that it was a lesson that hit hard. The gist of it was basically speaking to the fact that most people are still waiting to hear “I’m Sorry” from someone they will likely never receive it from.
That reigns all too true for me. I have had incidents with family members that hurt me so badly that I often would find myself searching for love in all of the wrong places. I started looking for anyone who would listen to me, give me any type of attention. It wasn’t just with men, any person who was willing to become a new friend, cousin, sister, brother, whatever, was welcomed by me in an effort to replace what was lost.
As you can probably figure, this backfired because I was continuously getting hurt by these people because the love was never real to begin with. So whenever they chose someone over me or didn’t show me the kind of love that I expected, I became devastated and it opened up an entirely new set of hurt and pain for me to deal with. I felt like I couldn’t move forward or rid the pain until I was given the respect I felt I deserved.
Now that’s not to say that I had no guidance, it was just a string of poor decision making on my part that led to me realizing that I needed to change. I needed to let go of what was inhibiting me from being able to see people for who they truly were. When you become closer to God, you gain discernment. That discernment protects you from the sharks in the water. Having a relationship with Him period will bring forth people who will uplift you and love you for simply being YOU. You will find yourself surrounded by the love and support you need to succeed. A classic case of “if I knew then, what I know now.” You may say to yourself, “If I had only taken the time to develop a stronger relationship with Christ then maybe I wouldn’t have gone through that or not taken a chance on that.”
I can tell you right now, if you are still thinking that way, STOP! You will drive yourself crazy holding on to things that you can’t change. I struggled with that problem for years and held on to too much and in turn it kept me from being able to do the things that could have been beneficial to my life at the time.
I can recall too many times when I have been told or overheard someone telling someone else to let it go. Well how can you let something go when you haven’t healed from it? Those same people never explained to me how I could heal using God as the source of my strength. It isn’t enough to just let it go, we need to pray and talk to God and lay it all at His feet. Too often we expect people to deal with things the way that we do. Some people know how to brush things off of their shoulder while others may need a minute. When you hear the expression “Give it to God,” it is simply saying to give everything that has burdened you to Him and to stop dwelling on things that you have no control over.
To quote the lesson,
“God wants you to move on so badly, but he doesn’t want you to move on without healing.”
THAT’S BIG!!!
You can move on but if the pain is still there, you will end up holding on to it and eventually explode. You cannot control the way that someone feels about you or what goes through their mind when they make the decision to hurt you. When you put more trust in man than you do in God, you will be let down every time. All that you can do is ask the Lord to guide you through the tough times and to heal what has been broken and to help you FORGIVE and move forward. Choosing to forgive and let something go allows you to release the power and the hold that the situation has over you.
We have to stop pushing people to let it go and start becoming supportive to their individual needs for God. When someone chooses to confide in you, don’t just tell them to let it go, listen to their concern and explain what needs to be done. We don’t have to be professional therapists to know that stopping to listen to a hurt friend or family member can be therapeutic. Figure out what eases their mind and tell them to find a way to incorporate God into it. For example, meditation and talking to God, spending time and praying with family, finding a relaxing hobby such as painting or crafting while asking God to bring you peace while you create, are all ways to have moments of clarity and time with God. You can find Him in anything. Prayer heals all wounds and can be very therapeutic when you just need to talk.
Stop waiting on that apology. IT MAY NEVER COME. That pain and hurt that you are holding on to can cause all kinds of health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Take it from someone who has inherited a chronic condition partly because of stressing and holding onto things. IT IS NOT WORTH IT! Put yourself and your health first and trust that God will take the pain and the hurt away. Trust that He will ease your mind and give you the peace that you need to move through life unoffended by anything that anyone may throw your way.
As suggested in the lesson, be the person that you want others to be to you. You want people to call and check on you more, try giving them a call, you want more love and support, be loving and supportive to those who need it the most. Do you have a friend who just graduated or recently received a promotion? Or maybe they just got married. BE HAPPY FOR THEM. Celebrate their accomplishments and encourage them to continue to strive for their goals. You want someone to pray for you, pray for them even when you aren’t sure what to pray for. Let’s be each other’s keepers. Forgive, let go and give to God.
God is always listening.
Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Confessions of a P.E.A.C.H. 