Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

drama tornados

the tornado of drama spun into my life, sweeping me up before i even realized it. i now had to face the reality, i was caught in a whirlwind of bitter words, ugly emotions and hurt feelings. i wanted out of the storm.

i try to catch my balance, all the while weary words are spinning around me.
where did this relationship go wrong?  why can’t it be easier?  should i even try?
i take off my glasses and rub my eyes.  oh, how i wish this had ended differently.  i look around the room, wishing i could find a magic wand or fairy dust to sprinkle on the situation and change it with a poof.  it’s a real-life mess that i don’t know how to fix.
i’m quickly reminded that anything is possible for Him.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

what am i to do Lord?  how do you want me to handle this?  this relationship is too far gone, too difficult, too demanding and honestly Lord, it makes me angry.
and then i’m faced with a startling reality…while it’s not wrong to take a step back out of the tornado of this situation, it is wrong to stop praying for their heart.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Luke 18:1

we can’t always talk to people about God, but we can always talk to God about people.  we should never underestimate power of God.  the same hands that made the stars can change hearts.  and, if it’s His will, broken relationships can be healed.

so in the midst of this difficult situation with that oh-so-difficult person, i’m going to ask myself what God wants ME to learn from it. just that little shift of perspective changes my view of the situation.  i think the first thing we must do when faced with a difficult person, is hit our knees and Pray for God to reveal what He wants US to know, how He wants US to handle it and ask for His grace to shine through us.

be nice…

today is national Blue Shirt Day {World Day of Bullying Prevention}.  this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  last year miss jade was unfortunately dealing with some bullies. i so wished i could take that from her and protect her from it forever. sadly, that isn’t possible. as you know from this blog, i’m wordy {as my mama says}. words are a way of healing for me. my first response was to write a letter to the bullies. this is the letter. i didn’t send it, i knew it would just cause horrible drama and make the situation worse. but if i could tell them something, this would be it…

—————-

dear bullies…

i’m not sure that you understand how much you make others existence painful and nearly unendurable. so many innocent bystanders are made the victim by your cruel words and actions. right now, while you are teenagers, you are completely unaware of how your words and actions affect others around you.

no matter how many years go by, each kid you bully will forever remember how you made fun of them and the way it made them feel when you mockingly jeered about their shortcomings. you tear others apart with such precision that it leaves them breathless and alone. most likely, you will never fully understand how alone you make them feel.

to you, it’s no big deal.

i see when others make fun of and bully people just how miserable they truly are inside. you can deny it, say you are perfectly fine when honestly if you were fine you wouldn’t be able to do and say the things you do. there is no real joy in their actions, only pain. they are lonely and hurting and want someone else to comprehend the pain. and honestly, i feel sorry for you. no one should ever experience those feelings.

what makes me so sad for you girls is that you are truly beautiful girls who, given different circumstances, could be beautiful on the inside and the outside. sadly, you choose the road that makes you appear ugly regardless of your outward appearance. i think deep down inside, you are genuinely nice girls. i just wish you gave it more of an opportunity to shine. i wish you girls could learn to love and respect yourselves. i wish you felt like you could be heard, walk tall and feel valued. i know that there in goodness in each and every person.

but luckily for you, i have two children who are Christians and have been taught to love others as Christ loves us, unconditionally. they will forgive you and we will all pray for you. it makes me so sad to think of the kids that don’t know Christ and how alone they must feel from being bullied. funny thing, you’ve made such fun of jade but if you walked up to her tomorrow, genuinely apologized and said you wanted to be friends she would accept your apology and be the best friend you’ve ever had. thankfully, my children have the capacity for empathy.

i’m not for one second saying my kids are perfect, they aren’t. neither am i, or you, or anyone. unfortunately, we’ve all made mistakes and will continue to. some big, some small. we all do it. however, as God’s word says in 1 John 1:9, if you confess your sins, he will forgive you. so don’t beat yourself up over your mistakes and sins. but there is normally always a consequence. you’ll have to deal with the consequences of your actions – good and bad.

we can’t live how we want and still go to Heaven. you are a creature made to glorify the God who redeemed you. you can choose to glorify and serve God in this time on the earth, or you can choose to glorify and serve yourself here. but I have to warn you, if you choose yourself, you will not spend eternity with God. you can’t. you must have faith here and believe in Him on earth to receive the gift of salvation. one moment after death is too late. there are no do-overs.

i will still be praying for you and so will my family. and regardless of what you do, Jesus still loves you.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.
Matthew 7:12

book giveaway winner {and prayer girls}

last week i posted my review of courtney joseph’s women living well book and accompanied it with a giveaway of a signed copy of the book.

the contest ended yesterday and i had rafflecopter pick a winner. and the winner is……………………………………………Joni Lynn!!!!! super huge congrats Joni!! just email me your mailing address at gypsytree@windstream.net.

and i thought we would do something different today. it’s Sunday, the Lords day…a day to reflect on Him. so, enter your prayer requests in the comment section below. i would absolutely love to pray for you, and for my readers to pray for one another.