BY JESSICA LANDMON
So many of you have walked through seasons of trial and tribulation. In fact, many of you might be in one of those seasons right now. Perhaps you have been the victim of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Maybe you’ve been betrayed in your marriage due to infidelity and secrets from the past. Or you have battled cancer or other illnesses where the odds were not in your favor, but you made it through to the other side. Your resilience is remarkable.
Now that you have overcome these trials, you are at a crossroads. How you respond to the circumstances that life has presented is up to you. Simply put, you have a choice in how the rest of your story goes.
I am by no means trying to downplay the horrible season that you may have just walked through, but sweet friend, this is just one chapter of your life. Our Heavenly Father isn’t finished with you yet. He is writing a beautiful story of all your days on this earth, and this hardship is just a small piece of a bigger picture. The choices you make from here will determine how the remainder of your days play out.
I understand that it is very easy to get a jaded view of life after you have been through a storm. You can choose bitterness and unforgiveness to manifest in your heart, preventing you from trusting people and having meaningful relationships. Living in fear, waiting for the next shoe to fall, is another response to trial, which only holds you back from experiencing the joy of each new day. Negativity is also a choice. Rather than seeing the good all around you, you choose to focus on all the bad and ugly things in this world.
Alternatively, you can choose to concentrate on the goodness of God and how He held you during your worst days. The Lord doesn’t waste anything. He will use each hardship and trial for His good. Your stories of strength, hope, and determination are exactly what other women walking through what you’ve just walked through need to hear. Let Jesus use your testimony of victory for His glory.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
Ladies, I encourage you to invite the Lord into your wounds, and let Him heal you. Only He can! Surrender all that hurt. When you choose to be set free from your past, you allow Jesus to write the rest of your story.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11