“I’d never choose you for a friend”. Those were the words said to me by my mother at the height of her frustration with me when I was 17 years old. She was separated from my Dad by temporary circumstances, weary of carrying the emotional load for the family, probably very lonely and frustrated with a stubborn teen daughter. Well, those words got my attention. Rather similar to a hot two edged sword being driven clean through my heart. Stopped me dead in my tracks. “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me”? What a dim-witted little rhyme and completely false. My deeply wounded heart leaked for years. I quoted something Oz Hillman said a few months ago that works here too: “The battle you are in will soon become a meal for you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.” I might remove the word “soon” but it’s true!
Those words came on the heels of other painful experiences. I continually prayed and worked on the 5th commandment. It took me years to forgive the hurt my mother’s words caused – not until I was married and the mother of four children ranging from 3 to 11 years in age could I manage to do so. Oh, that’s not good. Do you know that’s not good? Un-forgiveness is pure poison to the heart of a person who won’t forgive. God has not qualified one sin as being more grievous to Him than another and He has not qualified one sin committed against us as warranting forgiveness and another not. I took that pain and vowed never to hurt my children with my words. Yep, yep, yep that’s what one can do on their own power – vow!
My children are grown now so did it work for me? With my heart filled with love and the best intentions can I tell you it did not work for me. I too did and said things that wounded my children through the years. You may have noticed life isn’t all you dreamed it to be. There are no perfect parents and there are no perfect children. What we do have is a whole lot of imperfect people roaming the land in need of a Savior.
Pearl to string: We will never know Christ's victory in its fullness until we stop reacting humanly to our circumstances. Pray that for yourself…… that your faith grows in that direction. It may take some time. When you truly have His authority over something you can look at that thing without worry, fear or intimidation. Your peace is the proof of your victory.
“Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure: genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of His victory.” ~ 1 Peter 1:7 MS
Is something poisoning your life? Forgiveness is the first step. It is a commandment and it frees you from a prison you locked yourself into – God gave you the key and it has been in your hand the whole time.
por amor de Su Nambre
(for love of His Name)
Lyndi
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