Bold & Beautiful 3 of 3
Beaten Black and Blue
My sister remembered another time when she was a little girl, and my dad got angry over something she did. He beat her so black and blue she could barely walk. If she had gone to school the next day, the authorities would have taken Daddy away and locked him up for a long time. She admits that she had a sassy mouth and that was part of the problem. She challenged his authority, and he did not know any other way to express his displeasure, other than to treat her the way he had been treated. She had no relationship with our dad. Am I excusing our Dad? No, I’m not excusing. However, when you enter into that mature place in the LORD, you identify the reasons people do what they do. She knows he was wrong to treat her in that manner, and she was bound up by fear and intimidation and anger and self-hatred for most of her life, simply because that was how she was treated. She did not know any other way to respond to his behavior. She became an intimidating, challenging, manipulating. Condemned for years by her own self image, she was set free by the love of God, and the unceasing mercy of His steadfast faithfulness in her life. JESUS loved my sister out from her cave. She is now a person who is non-condemning and more empathetic to the tears and frustrations of others.
When you receive the love and forgiveness of our Father in heaven, you learn how to give it out as well.
What kind of season are you in right now? Are you in a season of pain because of a wounded heart or are you in a kaleidoscope of fear? Are you discouraged or feel beat up? Has God been showing you some things about your heart that He would like to change? Did you know that every change He desires to make is for our own good? He wanted to heal Sandy’s heart. God did not want her living her entire life with a wounded heart! Just as He healed Sandy, He is also concerned about you! Have you have experienced a difficulty that has caused you great pain or sorrow? Maybe you are grieving due to the loss of a loved one? Maybe you are confused from an act of betrayal? Maybe you feel rejected, and would rather no one know the truth of how you feel on the inside. Be assured that God knows and God cares, and He will not leave you as you walk through the experiences of life and in time HE makes us all TO #BEBRAVER as we become BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL!
Do you feel discouraged or beat up? Briefly express to the Lord how you feel in this season and why. Be sure and write it down so that you can see where you were/are and where you are headed.
Pray with me
I do feel discouraged and beat up and need to be renewed according to Your Spirit. Help me feel alive again. Show me how to cast off this discouragement and despair and cause me to enter into life again! I need You Jesus! Help me! I admit that my heart has been wounded time after time, and I am so afraid to trust anyone. It is difficult for me to believe You have good plans for me and want me to enjoy life. So, Lord, come and change my distorted view of You. I forgive all those people who have offended me. I admit I responded to their abuse by letting it strongly hold me in a non-forgiving attitude all of these years. I release them and I release myself from my own unforgiving heart in Jesus name. I choose to FORGIVE!! I love You Jesus and need You to lead me into Truth and love and trust again. Lead me through this season God, and take me to the other side. Walk with me through this pain, so that I can be set free. I love You and as I learn how to #BEBRAVER, I look forward to living life BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL!
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Until next time,