Today, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a post from a childhood friend. Like me, she has been through her own trauma in life. She now gives back to her community in her daily employment. Reading her post about a new realization about herself as she researched how people process trauma in life, got me thinking as well.
I will be the first to tell you. I am a hot mess. I am a sweet, loving woman with a big heart and a good head on her shoulders, but I also battle anxiety daily as a result of some of the experiences I have walked through. I struggle with anger and yelling and keeping my cool in areas of personal and societal injustice. i am at times overly empathetic and can face depression when I look too deep into the hearts of the hurting. I am also resilient. When I fall, I get back up and keep going.
I have also come a long way. I have never been one to shy away from personal betterment and have sought to face my inner turmoil instead of hide from it. I believe in a big God and often invite him into my mess to help me overcome one more of my issues. I’ve slowly learned to trust and jump into life in spite of the fear. I have allowed my heart to heal from pain its felt along the path of life.
Despite my imperfections, I am better because I was broken.
Its like the bubble of a “good life” leaves this protective shell over us. That shell keeps us safe but it also leaves us self-focused and generally unimpacted by what is happening around us.
When I was broken, I was hurt. With intentional focus, counseling, prayer, Bible study, support groups and a great community of friends and family, my broken places have been mended, but in the process my shell was shattered. I am now gifted with an ability to empathize with people in the midst of hardship or their own pain. I am able to walk with people in genuine relationship and offer real love to a world that needs it. Jesus is my Savior and the ultimate example in love and sacrifice. He has shown me how a walk through hell can bring a bit of heaven to others.
Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
There is always a flip side to every trial we face. Often the benefits aren’t realized until we have some distance between us and the trial faced. It is too much to ask someone in the midst of a storm to see the rainbow. In the midst of a storm you must stay safe and protected not look out at the rainbow coming.
But if you, like me have walked through a few storms in life, and are now living outside of that past experience; it may be time to see just how special you are as a result of surviving. You may need to face some pain and allow those wounds to heal, but once that has taken place - see how that trial has transformed you into a crucial solution to the agony people around you undergo.
What has your broken bubble given you in a perspective that can touch someone else in a real way? What is your next step? Be intentional with your life, don’t just roam aimlessly with the remaining years you have on this earth.
I would love to hear from you, what is next? What unique perspective do you offer this world?
Its worth it, I promise!
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