Sometimes life’s disappointing cuts have caused me unbearable pain. I have cried out in agony, begging for relief. But the hurt lingers on sometimes for days, months, even years. We have all felt the pain of betrayal, rejection or disappointment. The hurt is real, the pain intense. We wonder, why? How? But even if we get the answers to our questions the sting still lingers. The real question is “what do I do now?” Just because someone chose to reject you, do you view your whole life as a failure? Do you close your heart and never open it to anyone else? You could, but what’s the glory in that? No, like all those rejected before us, we swing wide the gate and march on into the glory of our new life, into the newness of tomorrow’s mysteries, the newness of faith and hope. Happiness bids us to come, something better awaits us. When it comes we will sing and dance in victory because we never let regret steal our joy. We will rejoice because we have tasted the sweetness of satisfaction. Life is meant to be good. We are meant to overcome.
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No comments on Rejection
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Late evening thoughts:
Taking apart your parents home is extremely painful.
You travel back through their lives and the life you lived with them. Your heart is cracked wide open exposing every emotional feeling you have ever felt towards your immediate family.
So thankful the Word of God comforts us through this time. His love, mercy and faithfulness can carry us through grief and brokenness.
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I do not believe it is healthy to dwell on and live in the past.God is a God of new beginnings. He sent His son so we could have life “and life more abundantly.” Swimming constantly in the waters of the past will prune your skin and you.
Place your hope and faith In God who knows what tomorrow holds! -
One of the most challenging aspects of being estranged from a child is not being able to see or talk to your grandchildren. The grandchildren you nurtured, cared for, and spent focused time with for years.
Now, you are no longer allowed to attend their school activities. You are blocked on their phones.
I imagine that Joseph’s father, Jacob, could relate to the pain and grief we feel. His sons, out of jealousy and hatred for their baby brother Joseph, decided to “estrange” Joseph from the family forever.
Selling Joseph was a choice they made, knowing it would grieve their father, Jacob simply because their hard hearts and jealousy outweighed their love for Jacob or Joseph.
I am sure they based their choice on memories of Jacob showing favoritism towards Joseph, and it fueled hatred within their hearts. They could only see the past through their limited vision. They had no faith that God could create a new dynamic within their family in the future.
God turned this family’s injustice into a wonderful example of miraculous reconciliation. This Biblical example of God’s power brings me great hope and strengthens my faith.
I hold on to the scripture, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’”
I chose to believe! I have determined to continue praying and loving my estranged child, knowing they will return to the God who loves them.
I pray if you who struggle with conflict within your family you will look toward the future in faith believing all things are possible with God.
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Late Evening Thoughts:
Bobby and I are exceptionally blessed. We always have been. We’ve have experienced extremely hard times over the
36 years of our marriage, but God has always amazed us with His provision and mercy.
Why? Definitely not because we deserved it, or because of our faith in Him and our obedience to serve Him? No, because of His love for us! He loves you too, my friend .
We are blessed now even through the struggles we are facing. Why? Because we know God will never leave us or forsake us. He will never leave or abandon you!!!
You can trust God! -
Last summer when we were planning our 40 year class reunion I began “rediscoverering.” I went back through all of my high school yearbooks and the many keepsakes, awards, pictures and treasures my momma had saved of my high school years.
One thing in particular that caught my attention was a career goal form I had filled out for Miss Viola Turpin. The question was simple, “What job would you like to have after high school and college?” I had written “Rehabilitation Counselor.”
“Rehabilitation Counselor,” I wonder now if I even really knew what a rehabilitation counselor was when I completed the form. I’m not sure. But one thing I am sure of is — I have always believed in giving anyone the opportunity to do better. I believe in the power of encouragement, hope and faith.
At the dawn of 60 the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to be a helper, encourager, teacher of those who need many new chances. They need hope and faith. My prayer is I will remember each day what a miraculous and powerful God we serve. -
Somehow, with everything that is going on in this world the past few days I have found myself “off balance.”
Have you ever felt that way? As if you just weren’t walking straight anymore. You are still getting up everyday and doing what you are supposed to do, but your legs are weak and you seem to stumble more. This is where I find myself.
I know God is still in control, I am just overcome with sadness with what is happening around me.
So much death and sickness.
So much strife and confusion.
Hate and destruction.
The constant pressure by the world to conform.
I have never lived through anything like what we are going through now and honestly – it is difficult.
In the mornings I struggle to get up and get going. Am I depressed? Maybe, but this is something more. It’s more of a grieving.
Grieved over the way of life I once knew. The world, country, church and family life I loved and enjoyed has completely changed. I am grieved because I know in my lifetime, it will never be the same again.
Life is full of changes and believe me I have experienced many of them. Some changes I have gone through with joy and others in great agony. Falling in love then the adjustments of marriage. The joy of the births of our children then the agony of the teen years and loneliness of empty nest syndrome.
There were many unexpected changes I was sure would crush me forever. The death of my baby brother, watching my child suffer from a severe illness, being diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Abraham, Noah, Lot, Ruth, Esther, Daniel and many, many others saw their world change forever in their lifetime. Yet, they stayed faithful to God and saw His hand deliver and protect them. I am sure there were probably times of great personal grief for each of them, but they remained faithful and they kept their hope in God.
My hope and your hope must be in Him, not on the world around us. I have to turn off the world, let the grief pass and let the hope of GOD be manifest.
MAY GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS WATCH OVER EACH OF US. MAY WE SING HIS PRAISES FOREVER.
Psalms 61 NLT
“O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer!From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed.Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings! InterludeFor you have heard my vows, O God.
You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.Add many years to the life of the king!
May his years span the generations!May he reign under God’s protection forever.
May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.”
MAY GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS WATCH OVER EACH OF US. MAY WE SING HIS PRAISES FOREVER.
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“There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.” Job 1:1
You might be able to understand someone describing your entire life as “blameless,” but I never could.
My life has had sinful failures, but I also have sought repentance and determination to grow in Christ.
God does not live in the past, and neither should we. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold new things come.” 2 Cor. 5:17
God is so rich in His mercy when we repent of our sins, he erases them completely. He does not remember them, and He wants us to walk in the freedom of His love and forgiveness.
Romans 6
“12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
If you are walking in condemnation and shame, go to prayer; go to the Word of God. Remind Satan of these Words of God:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1
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Do you ever wonder where would you be if Jesus had not had mercy and entered your life?
I am so thankful He delivered me from a life of misery and self destruction.
Remember all the miracles Jesus preformed in his short life? God have mercy on us all. Can you imagine just being in the presences of Jesus?
We can be if we trust and believe.
Do you believe in Jesus?
For Real, Elaine?! 