Warm and cuddly when we are young
Should be our provider and protector
Stands up for us over the course of our lives
Builds us up when life beats us down
Surrounds us with love and guidance
If we are daughters teaches us how to be God-fearing women
Teaches us how to mother our children
Is our example of how to be a grandmother and elder of the family
Leaves a legacy of motherhood and a footprint of love for years to come
The brokenness some of us feel from the tragedies of life can feel like an elephant sitting on our chest. We can find ourselves wondering if we will ever heal. Healing is not something that happens overnight. It takes years of working to be free from so many broken areas.
Some people believe they will just snap out of the hurt. The reality is that it takes time. It can take years to fully heal. You really have to work on yourself. One part of the healing process is recognizing that there are areas of brokenness in your life.
Brokenness is not a bad thing or something to be ashamed of. We all get broken by life. We all have been broken in some area or another. Some of us live our lives not healing. We are often are so broken that we self-sabotage the things in our lives that matter.
We may hurt the very people that want to love us. We also can be in survival mode all the time. Sometimes we have walls built up around us and live in fear of being hurt again.
You can begin your healing process in therapy. Counseling is one way to uncover the areas that need healing. Finding the right therapist can be a challenge but once you have found your match it can be a blessing.
Healing with people who have had similar experiences is also healthy. You can find these groups in your community.
If you have had issues with domestic violence, for example, you can reach out to a local agency and see if they offer a support group. Sometimes healing can be easier when you realize you are not alone in your hurt.
It is also a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Some of us can find support groups in our local church. I always believe the church is a spiritual hospital and often helps a lot of us get through life.
When you are hurt and need to heal, try not to make decisions based on brokenness. We have all done it. I have not arrived but I strive to be better one day at a time.
Healing from brokenness is not an easy feat. It takes time, patience, and a willingness to heal and not remain stuck. As life takes its course we can easily find ourselves broken and struggling to heal. No one is exempt from these struggles. Over time healing does happen.
You need a safe space to heal. You need people in your life that do not continue to keep you bound. Freedom is found in God. No matter what Jesus’ Resurrection is liberty and freedom from anything we face. Brokenness does not have to remain a constant reminder of the pain we felt from being hurt.
Live to heal, one day and step at a time.
There is nothing we go through that God does not see us through. The things we go through can be extremely hard to bear. It can make us question who God is. We may also question whether God is with us as we go through it.
This life we live is hard and comes with times of despair. How do we keep a relationship with God through the storms? I must say it takes a believer, who is relentless about, letting God in. We must let Him in despite how much life can hurt. It is not that I have arrived. It is that believing in God who is greater than my troubles has taught me to go through with God.
Let’s see what God does in troubling times in the word:
And Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. And the Lord said to Moses “why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward” (Exodus 14:13-15).
Can you imagine the fear the Israelites must have had at this moment? Their enemy was behind them but relentless in pursuing them. Freedom from years and years of bondage ahead of them. God was there for them in ways that seem like a fairytale to some. As a believer when I look at this scripture I see how big God is. There are experiences I’ve had in my own life that have a significant impact on how for me this is not a fairytale. It is an illustration of who God is.
Testimony from my own life:
A few months ago I was abused by an employer. I faced legal issues and lots of stress and this employer did everything they could to try and intimidate me into being silent. I prevailed over them in court and through all the lies they told. God had me in a situation to teach me to be still and allow Him to work. I had no lawyer, but I had God. I did everything God told me to do and at the very end, the case was dismissed.
Let’s break this down:
No matter what we face God is with us. The Israelites were facing a red sea. I was facing legal trouble and intimidation. No matter what it is, go through with God’s hand. His righteous hand will hold you up as long as you follow his instructions and be obedient. Only a few people knew what I faced. God was concerned about showing me He would see me through.
No matter what is in front of you God is with you in the storm. When I took that job a few months ago I did not expect to go through what I did. I could have got mad at God and said “why did you not warn me about this”. I had those thoughts but God let me know I sent you there to bring change. In the beginning, I could not see how. I now know that it is highly unlikely someone else who takes that job will experience similar abuse.
The Israelites were extremely afraid. I must admit facing a giant ocean is more than intimidating, it is terrifying. They had really only one choice to go forward or remain in bondage. In life, it can be that way with God. God can be asking us “are you going to lay down and let the enemy prevail over you or are you going to trust me to give you the victory”. When God said, “why do you cry to me, tell the children of Israel to go forward”. It was not optional it was a command.
All of us can look back over our life and know that God got us through things that we may have thought we would not survive or overcome. God looks out for all of us. God is bigger than everything we face. Unfortunately, everything we go through is not a bed of roses. Some of the things we face are hard and troubling.
I want my readers to know what I went through did not feel good and I was fearful, no lawyer, never been to court, but I trusted Him. I did it afraid with God’s assurance I would prevail. This is what faith is (Hebrews 11:1). God is with you in the storm.
God prevails when we give the troubles of this world to Him. It is hard to master. We all want to control more than we actually are capable of. The hardest part in hard times is letting go and letting God do His best work.
God understands that in life there are losses no matter how hard we try to perfect our lives. There are no troubles too hard for God though in our limited abilities we may feel crushed.
I learned recently that being still and letting God work is best at times. We often make a mess of things when we try to do it our way. Being disobedient to God can bring negative consequences.
“Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)”. In this scripture God is saying He is able. He illustrates for us to trust Him. He wants us to be still and allow God to work in our lives. Being still can mean doing nothing even in troubling times. When we give things to God we have to leave it there.
The scripture goes on to say that God will be exalted above the heathen and in the Earth. God is higher than any of the troubles we face. There is nothing God can’t help us overcome.
Our God is able to move mountains out of our lives. Keep pressing there is greater on the other side.
The troubles of life hurt
The decisions we make don’t always work
Depending on God is the source of our strength
When life seems unbearable pull from God’s fortress
Life hurts sometimes
No matter what life brings press through the rain
Work with God to get through the pain
The etched memory of our past hurts but trouble doesn’t last
Our eternal resting place is worth more than issues of our past
No matter what with God all things are possible to work
Even though life hurts
We often pray for better and wish for better, but our pressing should include a strong foundation in a relationship with God. We should also be concerned about our eternal resting place. It is important to know that there is a place far greater than the troubles we face day to day.
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward and to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14)”.
Paul teaches us that as anointed as he was, he had not arrived. Though Paul had not arrived he kept on pressing. Paul endured a lot. Before his encounter with God he persecuted Christians. He also went on a journey during his encounter with God on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9) These things did not stop Him from striving to do what God called him to do. He was preparing to be with God eternally.
Pressing higher and seeking God’s purpose can be hard. God orders our steps when we seek Him and allow Him to work in our lives. There is more to life than what we want. What God wants for us is more important.
Life throws many curves and road blocks. It can feel like we will never reach what we know God has called us to. We can began to feel we are too broken to do what God is asking of us. When we look at Paul we are looking at an anointed man who faced many moments of brokenness and hardships. Eventhough this is true he continued to teach and write God’s word for who he was called to.
Pressing through life is a challenge for all of us. Life does not stop for anyone. No matter how much money you have or how spiritual you might be hard times will come. As things happen to us we can begin to feel like pressing through life is worthless.
Paul did not allow his past or his current situation to determine his walk with God. No matter what we go through we must keep our eyes on God. Paul was not saying pressing was easy. He was saying he pressed no matter the circumstances.
No matter the struggle press toward the higher mark God is calling you to. God has greater on the other side.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
How many conditions have you put on the way you love others? Well with God there are no conditions or limits to how He loves. He shows no respect of persons (Romans 2:11). We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). There is no partiality with God (Acts 10:34).
The next question is how do we measure up to loving that way? The truth of the matter is we can’t. We are covered in flesh and it is a constant battle of offenses that often separate us from those we really love.
Though we should love unconditionally most of us struggle to do so. There is refuge in trying to love with godly love and understanding you won’t do it with perfection.
There will be times when those we care about make it easy to love them. There will be other times when the person we are trying to love, we fight to love them. What do we do in those times? We trust God to give us the strength to love them as best we can.
Jesus never came to condemn the world. His ministry was for the lost, spiritually bound, and those who felt separated from God (John 3:17). As we try to love others with godly love we must remember we are limited. Sometimes it can be a fight to love those who are broken.
The love that Jesus showed on calvary we can never measure up to. All we can do is strive to give a piece of that to our friends, loved ones, and surprisingly even our enemies.
The way we love is founded in our relationship with God. We must understand that as we get closer to God loving others with godly love is strengthened.
Godly love is love that gives space for God to use us to be a light to others. No matter the offenses as believers we are the example of how to love with godly love. Yes, it is hard, but loving with godly love grows as we grow and mature in Christ.
Give yourself grace, you will not be perfect in it, but strive to love with godly love.❤💖💞
Black history is a history to be honored by society. It is true that when we forget or don’t know our history we are doomed to repeat it. We have struggled to keep the puzzle of our history intact. Many other culture have a different view of their history. Also, it wasn’t trampled on and attempted to be destroyed throughout societal history.
No matter whether society acknowledges it or not black history has been being dismantled across generation after generation. I would like to hope we can sustain a puzzle with so many missing puzzle pieces.
The power of putting the missing pieces of black history together is education. We must not let the legacy of black trail blazers die. This generation and the generations behind us are the legacy of black history.
Telling the stories of black culture is always a sensitive narrative to tell. We grow as a society when we acknowledge that it is a broken narrative. Black history will always be important to our society no matter how broken our stories may be.
The more we celebrate black history the more it keeps our history alive. Remember the generations now and after us are our legacy.
Black History Month 🖤🤎
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil, (Hebrews 6:19).
We find our hope in Christ and He holds us up by the anchor of the Almighty presence of God. One thing is true when we hope for anything and trust God we are depending on God to keep his promise to us as long as it is in His will. Jesus paid it all on the cross to be a solid foundation on which we can stand. There is a refuge in Jesus because He is our anchor no matter what we go through. We stand because He holds us up just like the anchor that holds ships at sea.
Jesus is often called a strong tower and a solid rock. There is nothing Jesus won’t see us through. There is nothing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can’t work out in our lives. We hope for tomorrow because many of us know our foundation is greater than the circumstance in front of us.
There is hope for tomorrow when we have a solid foundation in Jesus Christ. We move through life in and out of seasons understanding that God is our refuge. When I was growing up in the church they always said there is nothing too hard for God.
There is power in allowing God to be the anchor in our lives that keeps us going. We are God’s children. He will do everything to make sure we are okay. There is an adversary but for every snare from the enemy, there is power in God to get us out of the hand of the enemy.
Allow the power of the Almighty God to be your strength. Jesus is our anchor because He is the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20-22). He is the chief cornerstone because it is from Him that our strength comes and He is a solid foundation. Jesus is our hope and anchor.
When doors close in our lives we may wonder when God will open the door He promised. There is a desire for God to work in our lives how we see fit. The problem with that is we limit God or put Him in a box. God is limitless. It can seem like the door He promised us will never open. That’s the time He pushes us into what He had in mind.
Time after time God shows us through His word that He opens doors. He gave Abraham the ram in the bush (Genesis 22:13). He rose Joseph to power after a trail of unfortunate circumstances rooted in the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 41:39-41). He made David king when many felt David was just a little shepherd boy (1 Samuel 16:13). Jesus was crucified and now He is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).
God’s will in our lives is about Him closing doors that hinder where He is trying to take us. The doors that remain open may keep us from the path He has for us. His goal is to position us into the purpose He has for us.
Waiting is another important piece of the puzzle. We do not want to get ahead of God and wander aimlessly around. There is a need to be patient enough for God to move.
There are no popcorn answers with God. Which is something today’s generation is hindered by. Getting fruit out of season doesn’t have the seasoned taste we love. With this said getting things out of God’s timing can be a hindrance and we can fail to maintain the things we acquire.
It’s not just about opening doors, but allowing God to close doors that no longer benefit us spiritually. In order for doors to open some doors must close. We want to move forward but fear God closing doors. It is a part of the process.
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you”.
It’s important to want God to open doors in His timing. It may take a while but like fruit picked in season oh how good will things work out for us (Romans 8:28).
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Resilient Inspired Spiritual Excellence R.I.S.E. 