“When we don’t forgive, something dies. Something moves closer to the edge of death.”- Sara Horn
As Sara Horn begins Chapter 6 (“Holding On to Hurts”) of How Can I Possibly Forgive?, she stresses that when we continue to harbor resentment and hatred toward those who have wronged us, something dies within us- hope, trust, mercy, compassion. All of these are qualities we need and cannot afford to lose.
Sara states that we need to turn the white noise off by confronting and addressing the ever-present question we implicitly ask when we talk about our hurts: What about me? Sara explains that this is the question that:
” . . . rests on our hearts, whispered in our minds, sometimes written in jagged, crooked letters in journals and diaries, and sometimes when we just don’t feel like anyone hears us anymore, we scream it from our lips or softly say in tearful prayers, What about me?”
We are unlikely to get an answer to this question, Sara adds, because we never can reach full satisfaction when our goal ends in us. Our question needs to be rephrased. “What about me?” must become “What about Him?”
As Christians, theoretically we know the benefits of following Jesus. Often, however, the draw of our hurts is stronger. Sara concludes with this caution: Our hurts do not trap us. We trap ourselves with our hurts.”
Today’s question: Following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss, what opportunities have you had to serve God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Holding on”
