Hurt and Healing

Our Pastor once asked a bold question that stuck with me firmly, "How much do you have to HATE someone to not share the Truth with them?" Immediately, I realized I did "hate" someone that much. Even though I had worked long and hard for years on forgiving the person, I still admitted to my husband that if I happened to see that person tomorrow in heaven I would be straight pissed.

When someone hurts us, we make the choice to ignore/bury the pain, to let our emotions run rampant, or to face the pain and forgive the offender. When someone hurts us, we are then on a continual path; you are the one who decides if that path is called bitterness or forgiveness. I attempted the path toward forgiveness from the beginning, but I didn't realize until the "how much do you have to hate someone" question was posed that I had always been subconsciously relieved that the individual did not know the Lord. I, on the other hand, had the Lord on my side. I was protected, I was loved, I was brought through.  And during this I did choose to forgive, I did pray for this person, and I did ask the Lord to bless the person (and I continue to). YET one morning right before Holy Week I came to the clear realization that I had never (not once) prayed for this person's SALVATION. And frankly I didn't want to. But God said to me, "Jesus died for him, too." Though uncomfortable at first, I was able to face that truth and have been focusing on it since. And I know I still have a ways to go.


Even though you forgive someone and realize God forgives them too, it doesn't erase the hurt. The damage has been done and you can't take your broken soul back to the store and return it for a new one. But God can renew and store it with you. He can bind your wounds over time. He forgives you and encourage you to pass that same incomprehensible mercy onto others.

This week my prayer is that I will always be able to release those who have hurt me over to Him. And that the wounds of my past would be completely healed so that I can thoroughly rejoice in today.