Guilt hurts.
Sometimes we feel guilt when we know we did something wrong.
It’s painful until you face it. And when you do, God forgives.
But then there are times when the guilt comes from other people. They make you feel guilty by blaming, accusing, and manipulating.
I used to allow that kind of guilt in my life.
No more.
You can be free from it when you do not allow that poison in your life.
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Even in our darkest hour, it’s amazing how God’s creation can make us smile.
This truth makes life worth living – even with all the problems we face.
We have to see the color, even through the gray clouds of pain.
Ugh. Perseverance. A word that will conjure up the thought of work.
But did you ever think of it as waiting?
Waiting is work, too. But not in the sense of using too much emotional, physical, or mental energy. It’s deciding not to give up and so you will wait as long as it takes. You never know what is just around the corner. Things change in a moment, a day, a week, or a year.
So why not take the attitude of being optimistic?
It’s a choice. It has nothing to do with how you feel. Once you make the choice to persevere – not give up – watch how you will feel.
No matter how bitterly cold and snowy the winter is, the forsythia blooms, the robins make their nests, and the meadows are dotted with cheery buttercups and happy daisies.
This is the promise of hope.
Don’t give up.
When you’re having a difficult time, do you just want to pull down the shades, lock the door, and turn off the phone?
I know the feeling.
But I’ve discovered something.
If you do something that you don’t feel like doing, you may be surprised what it does for you.
See, our emotions can play tricks on us. In fact, they can make us feel things are worse than they really are. Don’t get me wrong. Emotions are good. It’s just that we can be led by them instead of us leading them.
I know there’s some really bad stuff that can happen. I’ve experienced betrayal, hatred, abuse, rejection, abandonment, and the death of my son.
I have not been raped, beaten, or mugged. I have not suffered hunger, addiction, homelessness, eating disorders, or severe poverty. But others have. And I know some of those people. They have moved through their struggle or are still dealing with it. Yet, they have found life still brings pleasure and happiness. And usually it’s with the simple things – making time for a movie or coffee with a friend, sitting in the park, or whatever it is they would enjoy.
Life goes on – with you or without you.
You just have to find it. It’s there if you look.
But all too often, some of us wallow in the discouragement by putting all our eggs in one basket! If it doesn’t go the way we planned, we think there are no other options.
There are. And many have found that to be true.
Will you?
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Helping others address their needs is one of the best ways to relieve the anxiety we may feel about our own.
–Rabbi Brad Hirschfield
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Sometimes, we’re the one who causes pain.
When I think in those terms, I am not so ready to be angry at someone who has hurt me.
This is humility.
Humility is taking your rightful place in God’s creation, yet, submitting yourself to the bigger picture.
We don’t say we’re sorry enough. Far too often, we make it about us and our feelings. Our feelings count. But so do the feelings of others.
In Christianity, the focus is on loving God and your neighbor. Jesus said these were the greatest commandments and if you are doing this, “the rest” will fall into place. If you think about it, it’s because all of our thoughts, words, and actions are affecting God or our neighbor.
When you give and don’t think about yourself first, you are a happier person.
Challenge: For the next 7 days, say you are sorry to one person every day. See how humble it makes you feel.
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You may have had an abortion.
Deep inside, you may wonder if it was right or wrong.
You may feel the emotional pain from terminating your pregnancy, even if you were okay with it at the time.
If you are struggling with having an abortion, I have something to tell you. God forgives. You may not think you did anything wrong to need forgiveness. But the fact you are feeling so miserable, or the abortion still haunts you after several years, you may be dealing with guilt.
We are limited in our human understanding – as amazing as we are! We are wired to be hurt by our actions.
But the good part is God is merciful. The Bible tells us so much about how God is compassionate toward us.
God is not punishing you. God loves you. And He wants more than you know to not feel the guilt. He forgives when we go to Him. And only He, the one who made you, is able to erase the past.
It’s difficult for us to understand how God can see everyone and notice just you. But he does. You matter to God.
There’s lots of pain in the world and if we’re honest, we know that someone’s hurting more than us. When I think of the famine and disease of third world nations and children or adults suffering abuse or addiction, it helps put things into perspective.
It’s not that my pain or your pain isn’t valid, but pain has a way of consuming us if we let it.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
– The Bible
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Perhaps the more important question is not why is there evil, pain, sorrow, and suffering in the world. But is their relief? a remedy? and where does it come from?
Who has not felt some kind of comfort in distress? Just when I thought I could not take one more moment, the sun coming up the next morning gave me a sense of comfort. Someone is watching over things. The big things.
But then, there is the question of remedy. Is there one? Will there be a day when evil and pain is eradicated?
Without your participation, you exist. Your heart beats, pulsating life throughout your body.
With certainty, nature plays a glorious symphony, bringing forth food and beauty for all creation.
And for centuries, the sun rises every morning, soaking warmth and light upon the earth and its inhabitants.
God. He is the remedy. The one who created the universe knows how to fix it. He did.
And he promises …
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
-The Bible
I think this is worth looking forward to!
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when it hurts 
