If you are visiting from Proverbs 31′s Encouragement for Today let me say welcome! I am so glad you are here! I would love to share a bit more with you about my journey towards healing…
Have you ever had one of those dreams that you have over and over again? I have one where I’m pressing my foot on the car break as I hard as I can, but I can’t stop! Inevitably, I ram the cars in front of me and awaken with a jump!
Have you ever had an experience like that in life? There’s something you desperately want to stop doing but no matter how hard you try, you can’t stop? I have. A few years ago when I went through a period of depression, I wanted to make it stop.
Well meaning people would tell me that I could stop depression if I wanted to. That I could choose to feel better, and I wanted to choose these things. But no matter how hard I pressed on the brakes of sadness and tried to numb out my feelings, they wouldn’t stop.
So what do we do when the brakes aren’t working? When feelings like overwhelming sadness or anxiety hijack the brakes and we find ourselves destined for a crash?
We jump out of the car.
The devotion I shared today dealt with forgiving when an apology never comes. I jumped out of the car when I chose to forgive the person who hurt me, and forgive myself, even though my feelings screeched in the background. My feelings told me that life was unfair and that I was justified in my anger. My feelings squashed me with shame, telling me that I was and would continue to be a failure. My feelings were traveling 90 to nothing in the direction of destruction.
The only option for me was to acknowledge that these feelings existed and were real, but also to acknowledge where they were taking me. The feelings were unproductive and taking me in a direction I never intended to go. So I got out of the car.
I’m not saying I simply chose for my depression to leave. But I did choose to forgive, to seek medical care for the biological base behind my depression, to seek counseling for the emotional issues, to engage myself in activity and exercise, and to seek the Lord with all my heart. All of these choices made by the strength of The Lord helped me find a new car. One with brakes that worked, and one headed in the direction if life and healing.
Dear sister, if you are tired of feeling the same old way, the same old hurts, and dealing with the same old pain, maybe it’s time to get out of the car and head in a new direction. It’s not easy, but in Him all things are possible. It’s not about choosing away our feelings, rather choosing to take steps to heal so that He can restore our lives and emotions.
Thank you i have someone close who consistently criticizes me.It hurts but I will get out of the car
It does hurt. Sometimes well meaning others…just aren’t sure what to say. Cut them grace, move forward, and bask in the love of Jesus sweet sister. Hugs!
Thank you so much for today’s message. It is my story too!! But today, I’m choosing to get out of the car. Pray for me please.
Praying for you girl! Dear Lord, please help my sweet sister to move forward into your hope and healing. Give her courage and strength beyond what she could ask or imagine. Guide each and every step of her journey. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
Thanks so much for sharing your journey. What a great encouragement.
Thanks Lisa!
Stephanie, thank you for giving me words and tools to share with young girls who are hurting. So thankful!
thank you, I can identify with you , i also struggled for awhile with dealing with issues of bitterness ,anger depression it is a shock and until you deal with it it tries to strangle you but i have found relief in the Lord , forgiveness to those who hurt and forgiveness of my self . God is awesome the restorer ! thanks for allowing me to share Gods work .he is my delight and my night and shining armour the one who rescues . Chris
This encouraged me today. I have been held captive for years by unforgiveness since my father left our family. I am now 20 years old and married and it has affected my husband because of the way I felt about my father. I’m always up in his business and treating him like he did something wrong. I really hate it. What you went through is so much more traumatic and it gives me hope that I can take that step to forgive. I always thought I deserved that “I’m sorry” since I was just a child but I will probably never get that. Thanks for this today.
I read your post on Proverbs 31 Encouragement for Today – and I wept! I have experienced a deep hurt and am struggling to wait on God to heal this relationship and take my forgiveness from my head to my heart. The scripture from Psalms is now posted on my computer. I am looking UP to THE ROCK! Thank you dear sister.
Thank you so much for sharing something so real. I’ve been frustrated with the “I feel overwhelmed with grief because I didn’t do my two devotions today” articles and have ft like they had no clue about experiencing pain and hardship. I can relate to your situation. It’s hopeful to see you make it through.
Thank you so much Stephanie for sharing this with us, I feel like there are still people that understand truth in love is one thing, but being critical is not going to help.
I am here at age 41. Since losing my mother this past October I can’t seem to find a reason to get out of bed. I have numerous health issues (Lupus, Fibro, CFS, Thyroid Cancer Patient, Migraines, etc…) so I’m already on medications but I have had my first appointment with a Christian Counselor (seems odd since I am a member of AACC myself) and see him again next week. I have to find my purpose for this season in my life when I’m no longer a caregiver of 25 years, my daughter is 19 and has her own life I want her to live and enjoy and my husband and dad can take care of themselves. I’m finally starting to let God show me what He wants from me and where He wants me to be.