This summer, I am blessed to be a part of WinShape Camps. Every week we will be in a different state to set up camp and show the love to the people in that area. We just wrapped up staff training week and we are now on the road to Augusta, Georgia to set up for our first camp.
During staff training week, we attended many seminars and heard many messages. There was one particular message that hit me hard because it is something that I still struggle with. I really feel it on my heart to share that message with you.
We all have been hurt at some point. We all feel pain. We have all had our hearts broken. When we think about our past pain, we all have those certain people people who come to mind. At least I know I do. We have those people who make us say "I am this way because of you."
When you are hurt, it creates a wound. Sometimes it creates a deep wound. We cover it up like it's nothing, but underneath we are falling apart. But wounds can spread if they are not tended to. If they don't heal. Eventually, that wound moves to the heart. It becomes bitterness. "How could you do that to me?" are the thoughts that go through our heads. "Do you know how bad you hurt me?" "Do you even care?" "Do you not see how broken I am?" We become very sad and broken.
Bitterness leads to anger which, in time, will lead to hate. Once you get to a level of hate, it is so hard to come back from that. There are so many people who have hate inside of them. Some people have held on to it for a long time. There are even some cases where they hate someone, and you ask them why, and they do not even know. They just know that they do.
I don't want to be that person. I have never thought of myself as a bitter person and I have never thought of myself as someone who holds onto things. But, there are things in my life that hurt. Things I cry about when I think about it. Things that make me so angry that I just want to scream. There are people who have hurt me and it still stings when I'm around them.
However, life is about choices. We have the choice to either be bitter, and eventually harbor hate in our hearts, or we have the choice to let go and forgive.
Letting go is a lot easier said then done. Trust me I know. There are things I have not dealt with, that need to be. Someday, I know that I will be able to.
It is through the grace of God that I have been able to not become a hateful person, even though I still have things in my life that hurt.
We all have hurts and things that keep us up at night. Although this is true, it is our choice on how we are going to react. No one can force us to be bitter. Being bitter is like drinking poison. It will only kill you.
