The other evening I was sitting on my balcony soaking in the amazing warmth of the spring sun.
As I sat there, I saw parents jogging together as they pushed their children along in strollers. I saw a mom and her daughter and grandchild taking a leisurely walk together. I saw a dad and his daughter on the lawn playing badminton together. And I saw children in rubber boots running along the ditch enjoying the water in it as children should.
From my viewpoint it looked so peaceful.
I saw beautiful relationships being strengthened as families spent time together. It looked harmonious.
Yet, if I approached the people and asked about their life, each of them would tell me a different story. One might tell me of happenings too horrific to talk about. Another might tell me of illness they overcame. An immigrant may tell me about the difficulty of immigrating to a new country. Another might talk about heartbreaking divorce. While yet another may talk about losing their loved one to illness.
Each person has a different story to tell.
A few may tell stories of challenges they have lived through and overcome. Yet some may tell me stories of deep, painful things they are still living with.
So today I want to encourage you to be gentle with the people in your life that are going through challenges.
They did not choose to be there.
It has been almost five years since I started on my own healing journey. And still this afternoon as we spent the class period talking about helping children build resilience in their lives while they are still young, I felt so many big emotions in myself. I felt like I was taking the class for myself.
Yet I know that God is so gracious and kind in helping me rebuild my life now.
His love is the most perfect love!
And I will also forever be grateful for the people that have walked with me in the past five years. And those who still are. Those who believed in me more than I did in myself. Those who sat with me in the pain that I could not hold any longer. Those who are still offering grace and understanding when I revert to survival skills. Those who are still kindly supporting me as I learn to process and live life in healthy ways.
And to those on journeys of healing, like me, I would like to say:
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