Life-Giving
So, recently I took a hiatus from social media. A week ago, some friends challenged me to take a break and do other constructive things to fill that time. Because honestly, I was not in a healthy place overall and the healing of my heart seemed to be taking lightyears longer than "it should" have (in my mind). I got off of facebook and I got off of instagram; two things that were poison to my soul at the time. I was trying to figure it all out and I was wearing thin. Then I was reminded to Abide. Delight. and Dwell. A breath of fresh air those words were!
During this break, I was also gifted the book It's not Supposed to be this way by Lysa Terkeurst. I finished it in two days (thank you audio book!). It gave me some great tips and things to think about but I felt like there was more that I could learn. I then came upon another book by Lysa called Uninvited. I thought, "Ah yes, 'how to live loved through facing rejection, hurt, and loneliness', yep! This is the book for me".
Uninvited hammers out what it means to "live loved" despite rejection, hurt, and loneliness aka live like you are loved beyond a shadow of a doubt by God no matter what comes your way in this world and makes you feel less than. As I began reading this book, I found myself taking pages of notes. I had no idea that the words I would read from one page to the next would revolutionize my thinking again and again. Then I read the chapter I am currently in and that's where the title of this post comes into play.
Life-Giving. My other posts have shed light on my ups and downs throughout the past 6 months. I have been through the rejection of a relationship, the rejection of an incredible job opportunity, and the rejection of my plans all together. The hardest one of course being the break-up. Now before you say, "oh there she goes again with this relationship stuff..." I would ask you to just read the following sentences and hear what I have to say. In the book, a lot of what she discusses has to do with the rejection of man (humans). It is truly so painful and complicated and.. did I mention painful? And it is ultimately the root of any rejection because things are run by humans. Right? Right.
Terkeurst shares the messiness of life as well as beautiful statements of redemption and how to handle past hurts and rejection through a biblical lens. And it made me think back to my Nov. break-up. It made me think back to the hard conversations had back in Feb. that didn't end so wonderfully or redemptive. It made me think back to all these months of trying to heal and bombs exploding here and there with things that would set me back and hold me captive. It made me think back to the hurt and anger and brokenness and confusion and sadness that were all harbored within my soul. And to truly heal, you have to work through all of those things and not hide them, which isn't fun.
But in reading this wonderful, challenging, and uplifting book, I am challenged to move forward in grace and forgiveness. True forgiveness. I am challenged to move forward in striving to be life-giving to anyone that comes my way.
Terkeurst stated in one of her chapters that the enemy is always at work and he works very subtly most of the time. Disappointments and rejections are his favorite entry ways because he can get you to believe and act on all kinds of lies. She said that when facing the rejection of a close friend, she did not excuse the actions that friend had done but after her time of frustration and mourning, she began to write life-giving things about her rather than things that would only prolong the hurt. She was reminded that her friend was not her enemy, though there would no longer be a relationship there, but rather that there was only one true enemy; satan. That blew me away. I never saw the people in failed friendships/relationships as enemies but it made me that much more aware that there really is one enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. So if my words and actions can speak life then I can be active in shutting those lies up.
The challenge taken away from that chapter was to act and counteract. For every lie or falsity you hear or witness, counter it with 1-2 truths until the truths are all you're seeing, hearing, or believing. It's easy to spiral down and let satan subtly work but it's necessary and life-giving to counteract that with the truths about who the One who has already won, says you are.
To close, Lysa states in chapter 9, "We aren't always going to see this clearly (why there's pain and rejection). Still, even when it seems otherwise, we must remember that sometimes when we feel rejected or passed over for someone else, when God seems busy elsewhere or even purposefully unmoving, the truth is He is at work, maybe doing something entirely beyond what we were thinking".
So if I were to re-write my open letter, I would fill it with life. I would fill it with the truths about who I know J. to truly be. No matter what I hear or what I see through the filtered lens of social media. Everyone needs to be reminded of the truth of who God says they are. I would want to destroy lies and falsities that satan might be holding him captive under. I would give words filled with compassion and gentleness. I would not excuse past pain but I do not want to keep a record of wrongs. I would try reconciliation again and redemption through Christ because that's what he calls us to. I would speak Life and freedom full of grace and compassion.
During this break, I was also gifted the book It's not Supposed to be this way by Lysa Terkeurst. I finished it in two days (thank you audio book!). It gave me some great tips and things to think about but I felt like there was more that I could learn. I then came upon another book by Lysa called Uninvited. I thought, "Ah yes, 'how to live loved through facing rejection, hurt, and loneliness', yep! This is the book for me".
Uninvited hammers out what it means to "live loved" despite rejection, hurt, and loneliness aka live like you are loved beyond a shadow of a doubt by God no matter what comes your way in this world and makes you feel less than. As I began reading this book, I found myself taking pages of notes. I had no idea that the words I would read from one page to the next would revolutionize my thinking again and again. Then I read the chapter I am currently in and that's where the title of this post comes into play.
Life-Giving. My other posts have shed light on my ups and downs throughout the past 6 months. I have been through the rejection of a relationship, the rejection of an incredible job opportunity, and the rejection of my plans all together. The hardest one of course being the break-up. Now before you say, "oh there she goes again with this relationship stuff..." I would ask you to just read the following sentences and hear what I have to say. In the book, a lot of what she discusses has to do with the rejection of man (humans). It is truly so painful and complicated and.. did I mention painful? And it is ultimately the root of any rejection because things are run by humans. Right? Right.
Terkeurst shares the messiness of life as well as beautiful statements of redemption and how to handle past hurts and rejection through a biblical lens. And it made me think back to my Nov. break-up. It made me think back to the hard conversations had back in Feb. that didn't end so wonderfully or redemptive. It made me think back to all these months of trying to heal and bombs exploding here and there with things that would set me back and hold me captive. It made me think back to the hurt and anger and brokenness and confusion and sadness that were all harbored within my soul. And to truly heal, you have to work through all of those things and not hide them, which isn't fun.
But in reading this wonderful, challenging, and uplifting book, I am challenged to move forward in grace and forgiveness. True forgiveness. I am challenged to move forward in striving to be life-giving to anyone that comes my way.
Terkeurst stated in one of her chapters that the enemy is always at work and he works very subtly most of the time. Disappointments and rejections are his favorite entry ways because he can get you to believe and act on all kinds of lies. She said that when facing the rejection of a close friend, she did not excuse the actions that friend had done but after her time of frustration and mourning, she began to write life-giving things about her rather than things that would only prolong the hurt. She was reminded that her friend was not her enemy, though there would no longer be a relationship there, but rather that there was only one true enemy; satan. That blew me away. I never saw the people in failed friendships/relationships as enemies but it made me that much more aware that there really is one enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. So if my words and actions can speak life then I can be active in shutting those lies up.
The challenge taken away from that chapter was to act and counteract. For every lie or falsity you hear or witness, counter it with 1-2 truths until the truths are all you're seeing, hearing, or believing. It's easy to spiral down and let satan subtly work but it's necessary and life-giving to counteract that with the truths about who the One who has already won, says you are.
To close, Lysa states in chapter 9, "We aren't always going to see this clearly (why there's pain and rejection). Still, even when it seems otherwise, we must remember that sometimes when we feel rejected or passed over for someone else, when God seems busy elsewhere or even purposefully unmoving, the truth is He is at work, maybe doing something entirely beyond what we were thinking".
So if I were to re-write my open letter, I would fill it with life. I would fill it with the truths about who I know J. to truly be. No matter what I hear or what I see through the filtered lens of social media. Everyone needs to be reminded of the truth of who God says they are. I would want to destroy lies and falsities that satan might be holding him captive under. I would give words filled with compassion and gentleness. I would not excuse past pain but I do not want to keep a record of wrongs. I would try reconciliation again and redemption through Christ because that's what he calls us to. I would speak Life and freedom full of grace and compassion.
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