by Suzie
Eller
"The LORD is my strength
and
my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy,
and
with my song I praise him." Psalm 28:7 (NIV)
Years ago, hurtful words from a friend landed in a
tender
spot in my heart. It was already damaged by a previous incident with her ...
and
the one before that. When this friend was frustrated or lost her temper,
words
just tumbled out. Words that went straight to my vulnerable places.
Each time she
said
she was sorry, and she meant it. I knew we could work through it, but part of me
wanted to
give up on trusting her altogether. Why trust someone who might let you down
again? In
fact,
why trust at all? Why not just close my heart and keep it safe from any
potential harm?
The reality is that people are messy. My friend was a
mess. Sometimes I'm a big ol' mess, too. The words my friend spoke hurt and
we
needed to work through it. Our hearts trust in Him and He helps
us.
We need wisdom to know what to say, when to say it
and
when to hold those words back. God offers that guidance (James
1:5).
We need discernment over what is ours to fix and when
to
step back as God does His part (Psalm 55:22).
We need to know what to do when someone is
destructive or
unwilling to change, and how to transfer our trust to God in that hard
situation, rather than take matters into our own hands. We can ask for hope
and
healing in our hearts while God performs His work in someone else's
heart.
Our hearts leap for joy, and with a song we praise
Him.
Conflicts, difficult conversations or poor behavior
can
make you want to give up or shut people out completely.
Have you been tempted to climb into a
cave
of isolation? Do you sense God asking you to trust again? Maybe not
even in a specific person, but in Him? In others? In the fact that He's
completely with you as you run after His plan for your
life?
My friend is still my friend. She's changed a lot in
the
past few years, and it's delightful to have watched that
transformation.
Is she perfect?
No,
but neither am I. We're two imperfect women whose hearts trust in
God.
Dear Lord, someone has hurt my heart and my response
has
been to hide or build a wall. Thank You for wisdom, compassion and
discernment
as I trust in You first, and You show me how to trust others. In Jesus'
Name,
Amen.
Thought for Today
"For years the Bible was a dead book to me...like grits without salt. But after I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it became alive. I saw that the Bible was God's way of talking to me." - Steve Bartkowski, quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons
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