Recently I heard a friend speak at a meeting. It was amazing. She was amazing. God has made her amazing. She shared a story about something that happened to her that is something that is a universal fear and nightmare people have while awake. It is a fear of something that, when it happens, changes their life forever.
We all sat and listened to our nightmare played out in our friend's life. She told her story and did not hold anything back. We sat there stunned and captivated by her story and her courage at living through it and also also at her courage in telling it.
The loss is personal to her and her family. Still I was sitting there applying her story to the damage and hurts I had experienced. I talked to people after the meeting, and many said that they had had losses in life...different losses, but still painful ones.
After her testimonial, my friend went on to talk about where God was during that time. She shared the growth and wisdom she had gained during the time she was talking about.
Here are some of the things that my friend said she received from God to help her during her nightmare and in the years since then...
- read the Psalms
- Look for a word from God in the hard times.
- Keep your eyes on Jesus. He will get you through it.
- I asked Jesus to help me get out of the way and to speak through me.
- Remember Isaiah 40:31"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary
They will walk and not faint." - Send words to people that you know who are hurting.
As a closing thought our moderator reminded us that all people go through serious things in their lives. She thought that there were even people in our group who had experienced similar things. She advised us to remember our friend's talk and the lessons in it.
I mentioned the courageousness of my friend at the beginning of this conversation. She is one of my heroes. The fact that at one point she was unable to talk due to tears of emotion does mean her bravery was not what I had perceived it to be. It tells me that her hurt was still below the surface and could bring up deep feelings. She cried, and I knew that she had never been same. She had courage that left her unafraid to be real.
1 comment:
I appreciate your post, Corinne, particularly the last sentence. I haven't considered that being real takes courage. Scaredy-cats are instinctively wary; restless, on the alert to hide or run and if they can't do either, fight. Flight or fight - or - endure the situation. Your hero, and I assume her hero Jesus, neither fled nor fought- they had the courage to endure for a higher purpose. Lord, Your always teaching and comforting. Blessed be You Name.
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