A year ago, I was not satisfied with my life. I was feeling like I was wasting my time and my talents. I was feeling unwanted and undesirable. My usual modus operandi was to start whining and complaining in these types of situations. You would think that I would have learned that all that murmuring does is make me feel worse; moreover, it may become contagious to those around me. I didn’t want to be that woman; that daughter, that sister, that aunt, that friend, that teacher, that Christian, who always seemed to live under a dark cloud of sorrow.
If I had gone to a doctor, I probably would have been diagnosed with depression. I felt like I had let God and my family down. My grandmother, one of my best friends, passed away before she got to meet my forever husband and hold my babies. I wasn’t even close to having a family. I had become the first attorney in my family only to give it all up to become a teacher, and teaching was not as fulfilling as it was when I started. I had written countless songs that were on my computer until it crashed, but no one had heard them and all that was left was one hard copy of the lyrics. I wrote a book and I had boxes of copies sitting in my garage collecting dust. I started writing another book, sent out queries to publishers, but had gotten rejection after rejection. “If I wasn’t to be a wife, a mother, lawyer, a teacher, a writer or a singer,” I wondered, “Why am I even here?” Then, God placed an idea in my spirit. He chided, “You can do and be whatever you desire to be. Why are you waiting for someone else to approve of you when you have My approval. Share your gifts in whatever way you can and I will take care of the rest.” So, I started writing down everything with which I had been gifted and what I wanted to do with each of those gifts. After some research and planning, I decided to build a web presence that encompassed all of my passions. I love event planning and coordinating. I love baking desserts. I love sharing my testimony through writing. But, I needed a name. I need a name that would help others understand what drives me. I needed a little bit of anonymity, so that people would not be quick to turn a deaf ear; a name that commanded attention. I have often been told that I have high standards, which applies to every facet of my life, not just dating. I embrace the fact that I have higher standards than many. Settling is unacceptable! I looked at synonyms for higher standards and came up with Elevated Values. I filled out the paperwork to make the name mine (the law degree comes in handy) and on January 17, 2012 (my birthday), I launched the site and its accompanying Facebook presence. I am so glad that I serve a God who loves me enough to take me to task when I start whining. Since its inception, Elevated Values has coordinated a wedding, a surprise congratulatory party and a banquet. Through its consulting services, Elevated Values has edited a book and created a website for a minister and has been credited by a customer for helping her get her dream job by editing her resumé. The music on the Elevated Values site became so popular that it now has its own site, Toni LaShaun Music. The Pray While You’re Prey weekly devotions for Christian singles were launched in July and draw hundreds of readers to the site daily. The number of subscribers to the devotions has doubled in the past month. And, last, but certainly not least, this blog, Ms. EV’s blog has not only helped me work through issues and spiritual battles, but I have gotten countless comments, e-mails, and Facebook messages about how my writing has touched people in places I could have never dreamed of reaching! Isn’t God AMAZING?!?!?! So, I want to thank all of the customers, subscribers, fans and followers of Elevated Values Consulting and Coordinating. This is just the beginning; God is on the move! Ms. EV
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When I was 24, I was on vacation for spring break and my “boyfriend” at the time said that he might come down to see me during the break. I found out that his favorite team was going to be nearby, so I tried to give him a call to see if he would want to come see them. I called and left a message. Hours went by and I got no response. I tried to call again and got no answer. I called the house phone and kept calling until his roommate answered and told me to stop calling because he was trying to sleep; he did not, however, give me any indication about my guy’s whereabouts. I started panicking. Had he been in an accident? Was he in a hospital with no identification?
He called the next day. I was relieved until he ripped into me about how irrational it was to continue to call him when he wasn’t answering. It never crossed my mind that he just didn’t want to speak to me. I jumped to some pretty illogical and catastrophic conclusions. This was not the first time that this had happened; the jumping to horrific conclusions and being so panicked that I could not breathe thing was a normal part of my existence. And, I thought it was normal to everyone until he called me crazy. That was what it took for me to seek help. I went to a doctor. He made a diagnosis and I began treatment. One of the parts of treatment involved some breathing exercises. The results were not immediately better, but over time, I got better. Now, though I have an occasional bout of anxiety, it is no longer crippling. Now, when I am faced with situations that cause me to start down a slippery slope of disaster and panic, there is a quiet voice that whispers, “Just breathe….” As I inhale and exhale, it gives me the opportunity to calm down and to reflect on the fact that God is in control. The situation may not always have the results I desire, but they will always be the best results. Earlier this year, I was driving home and the decision I made by faith and obedience to cut off a source of income was weighing heavy on my mind. I started to panic, imagining that my cat and I would soon be homeless, but then I heard, “Just breathe…” and I calmed down. I remembered that there has never been a time when God has abandoned me. The issue was not solved immediately. I did not get another source of income that I was counting on earlier in the school year. I did not go to the mailbox and discover a random check. I had to tighten my budget, tithe, and trust God. Fast forward five months, God is in the process to replacing my source of income with an even better, more convenient work opportunity and I will be earning more than I was before. God is just good like that! So, while you may not suffer from an anxiety disorder, the next time you, or the devil, tried to get you all riled up over the circumstances that surround you, just breathe. With each breath, think of a time when God saw you through a situation from which you saw no escape. Think of the many times that God looked out for you when you could barely look out for yourself. Reflect on His goodness and just breathe. Ms. EV This past Sunday, during the opening of worship, we sang the “More than Enough” by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. The words are:
Jehovah Jireh, my Provider You are more than enough for me Jehovah Rapha, you’re my Healer By Your stripes, I’ve been set free Jehovah Shammah, You are with me You supply all my needs You’re more than enough More than enough More than enough for me As the song continued, I began to envision that I was all alone singing for an audience of One. I felt as though I was sitting at the feet of Jesus singing this song of praise to Him. But, as I continued to sing, I felt a stir in my spirit asking me if I truly believed what I was singing. Do I really consider God, my Savior, to be more than enough? If He never did anything else for me, would I still lift my hands in praise or would I hang my head in defeat? I think that all of us would love to shout “Yes! Lord, no matter what happens to me, You have already done more than enough!” And, that is true. I fully understand that God does not owe me anything. He has already poured so much grace and mercy over my life that I did not deserve. Yet, there are still times when I want more. Can we sing or say that God is more than enough and continue to ask Him for more and more? If we ask God to bless us, does it mean that we do not believe that He is our everything? I don’t believe that taking your concerns, your thoughts, your dreams, and your prayers to God means that you devalue everything else that God has done. It does not mean that salvation was not enough. Jesus said, in John 10:10, that He has come to give us life more abundantly. That kind of life means that whether we have plenty or whether the world would consider us to be poor, God still reigns on the throne in our hearts. We contradict ourselves when we say that God is more than enough, but then, we try to do His job for Him. We are not being true to God when we say that He is more than enough, but we hang our heads in defeat at every time we get a bid of bad news. This earth is not our home, so we will always have a longing for something greater. There is no need to be ashamed of that. But, we must never be ashamed of our God. We must never think that there is any challenge to great for God. ‘More than enough’ does not meant we should never ask God for anything because that directly contradicts His Word. ‘More than enough’ is the character of God. When we do make our requests known to Him, He not only answers them, but He answers them in the best way for us. He gives us more than we asked for, even when He says, “No” or “Wait” because the denial or the delay always leads to something greater than we imagine. So, if you are thinking that you cannot sing, “You’re more than enough for me,” because you are still asking God to bless and keep you, don’t let the devil convince you of that lie. Hold your head up and shout it from the rooftops! My God is more than enough! My God is more than able! My God has already given me His best and will continue to do so! And, don’t just sing or shout it, mean it and believe it. Ms. EV This is a repost from a few months ago, but I reread these verses today and felt it needed to be repeated...
This week’s Sunday school lesson came from Hebrews 12:1-13. The focus of the lesson was how God trains us to live the life He has planned for us through discipline. The verses use the example of parents disciplining their children and how we respect parents who discipline their young and teach them the right way to go. So, if we respect earthly parents who punish their children, then how much more respect and admiration should we give our Heavenly Father when He chastens us. As the lesson began and I read the verses, I first felt guilty for complaining to God, and my mom and my best friend about my current struggles because, as the verses say, I may be struggling in some areas of my life, but I have not “suffered unto death” as Christ did. No matter how bad it feels that my circumstances are getting, there is nothing that I can go through that Jesus did not face. And, I can look to Him as an example of how to face difficulties. When I feel lonely, I can see that He also felt lonely, especially just before He died. When, I feel like my friends don’t understand what I am going through, I know that Jesus felt the same way, as His disciples could not understand anything He was trying to tell them and His closest allies could not even stay awake long enough to pray with Him. When we got to the verses about God chastening those He loves, I sat and wondered, “God, I know I am not perfect, but I cannot think of what I did to be in this state where I feel like I am being punished. I know I have done things in the past, but I trust and believe Your Word that I have been forgiven. I know I will have to face some consequences from past actions, but I feel like I am living in a perpetual state of punishment. And, if you will show me what I am being punished for, I will repent and fix it.” I remember when I was little and I would get in trouble. I always wanted my parents to just spank me, so we could move past the punishment. The worst feeling was when my parents did not spank me or even yell at me, but just simply said, “I am really disappointed in you because you know better.” And, lately, I have been feeling like God is saying He is disappointed in me. I have been feeling that there is something I am supposed to be doing or a lesson that I am not learning and I just want to get my punishment, so we (God and I) can move forward from here. Then, one of the members of the class pointed out that discipline from God is not punishment for things that we do. It is not God’s way of calling attention to our wrongdoings, so we can beat ourselves up about them. God uses discipline to train us; to prepare us for the things that He has reserved for us. I would be lying if I said that I immediately felt better because I did not. I thought, “Ok, Lord, if it’s not something that I did wrong and I am being prepared and not punished, then what part of this preparation am I not getting because this process is painful.” Nevertheless, I know that everything I am going through and every feeling that I feel is something that my Lord and Savior is familiar with, so I just need to seek Him and ask for His comfort and peace through these growing pains. There is something that is going to happen in my life for which I need preparation. God loves me enough to allow me to feel uncomfortable right now, so that when the time comes to reveal the next step on my path, I will not stray and I will be able to fully enjoy what God has for me. He promises that it is all working out for my good and for His glory. If you have experienced something similar or are experiencing something similar, hang in there. God is not punishing you; He is preparing you, so that you can live an abundant life on earth, and then, an eternal life in Heaven. Listen, obey and walk in His Word. He has your best interests in mind. Ms. EV Even though growing up, all I ever dreamed of was becoming an attorney, I very quickly realized that it was not the career for me. Because my life had been so geared toward that goal, it was then that I really had to start listening to God’s promptings. And, I was not always great at listening. Nonetheless, when you are faced with the fact that you no longer have the one consistent desire that you have had for most of your life, the best and safest place to turn is to God. So, I prayed. Lord, show me the right career. Lord, give me the financial stability and freedom that I need. Lord, bless me with a family of my own.
Each and everyday, I would pray to God for what I wanted. There is nothing wrong with asking God for your desires. He encourages us to ask, to seek, and to knock. I truly believe that my current career is where God wants me to be. However, the road is not always easy. Every year, as with almost every other industry, the game is changed. There are more and different demands, sometimes with less incentive and one really has to examine the true motivation behind the work. Last year, in the midst of anger, I made a decision to give up a source of income. Before I notified my superiors of my decision, I prayed and sought after God because I have learned not to make rash decisions out of anger and not to make any decision before I pray about it. Though I made the decision, it took two months of praying and listening before I announced the decision. And, I feel that I listened and it was the right thing to do. Still, the enemy wants to cause confusion and second guessing. As I said, this particular venture was a source of income; not a significant amount of income, but something extra. I realized that the time I was spending on this job could be spent pursuing the passions that God has placed in me, which would lead to a more joyful and peaceful existence created by a blissful balance of work and play. I started to record music, continued to write, and took on some catering and coordinating jobs, which are all things that I love to do. But, the things that I love to do aren’t replacing the little extra that I was making. I thought that there would be another opportunity that would not take up much time, but provide me with extra income; however that does not seem to be a possibility anymore. So, the devil wants me to start questioning whether or not I made the right decision. And, I give him credit because he is good at his job. He knows to throw in, “Now, you’re not just a lonely spinster, but you’re going to lose what little luxury you could afford. The only thing that made being alone bearable was that you could afford to treat yourself.” I will admit that I was letting him win. Then, I went and grabbed some of my notes that I keep around the house when I need inspiration. The first two things I read didn’t seem to speak to the current issue, but then I saw a quote that I copied from my dad’s “Courageous” calendar. It said, “I used to ask God for all kinds of things; now, I just ask for God and He takes care of all things.” The beauty of being His child is that I know He will provide. I do not need to seek the provision; I only need to seek the face of the Provider. I know I listened. Even though, I thought I was making a decision because of hurt feelings, when it came down to it, I believe that God allowed things to become uncomfortable, so that I would free myself up to be used by Him. I know that God is faithful and He knows my every need and He has NEVER failed me. So, I choose to ask for more of Him, to seek Him, and to knock at His door, knowing He will take care of ALL things! Ms. EV For the past couple of days, I have been writing about those things that God sees that we either choose not to see or that we really could not see. I have been talking about trusting that God knows everything and He knows what is best. So, of course, the current attack in my life has to do with not knowing a piece of information.
I have some very important deadlines coming up pretty soon. In order for me to meet my obligations, there is a key piece of information that I need. I searched the Internet for an answer. I found nothing. I e-mailed a person who I thought would know. She told me to e-mail another person who should know. That person said she didn’t know and copied my question to someone who was doing the job of the person who would know the answer to my question. That person e-mailed me back and said someone else was in charge of the information, but she would not tell me the name of said person, so that I could make contact. I got frustrated. Then, I heard, “Trust Me.” And, I whined, “God, I do trust You, but I still wanna know!” I almost feel like God laughed at me and I can’t blame Him. I am convinced that He has an awesome sense of humor. Don’t get distracted by trying to figure out what my question was about; just pay close attention. We cannot say we trust God and have to know every step of the plan at the same time. If you are a control freak like I am, then you understand this struggle. I know it is wrong. I know I have to just trust God. Yet, I still find myself trying to figure out certain things. The beautiful thing is that God knows exactly who I am and He loves me in spite of my shortcomings. I believe that I could not get anyone to give me the answer to my question and I ran into a dead end, so that God could get my attention focused back on trusting Him. There are so many examples in my life that I could point to where I trusted God and He came through for me in inexplicable ways. It’s actually kind of crazy that in my search for answers, I seem to forget about all of those times. The good news is that I am growing in my faith and I can recognize when I am going off the track of trust. Do I still wanna know the answer to my question? You betcha! But, as Job said, “Yet will I trust Him!” I probably wouldn’t understand the answer if He let me know anyway. When you know God, you don’t have to know all of the answers! Ms. EV I am a HUGE NFL football fan. I am in love with my team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, even though, they have not been very good for the past several years. I am still loyal. I have season tickets. I watch every away game. I go to training camp and draft parties. I am the Official Fan Reporter for NFLFemale. As the Jaguars’ slogan for this year suggests, I am “ALL IN” when it comes to my team. The Jaguars finished with its worst record in franchise history this season. They won two games and lost fourteen. It was a long season.
Last year, the team that had that record was the Jaguars division rival, Indianapolis Colts. After coming off a 14-2 season, the Colts lost their franchise quarterback for the season, and ended up with the worst record of any NFL team in the 2011 season. Despite the fact that he had led the team to the playoffs the season before, the 2-14 record was enough to get the Colts head coach, Jim Caldwell, fired. So, the Colts started looking for a new head coach. One of the candidates they were pursuing was Chuck Pagano, the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. The only issue was that the Ravens were in the playoffs, so the Colts had to wait to interview Coach Pagano. The Ravens made it all the way to the AFC Championship, where they would face the New England Patriots. But, for the Colts, time was running out to find a head coach, as they needed to be sure they had the proper staffing in place. The AFC Championship game was intense. A dropped touchdown down and a missed field goal ended the Ravens season in defeat and they were crushed. However, it meant that the Colts could talk to Chuck Pagano and they ended up hiring him as their new head coach. This past weekend, the Colts faced the Ravens in the first round of the 2012 NFL playoffs. When asked how he felt about the previous year’s defeat in the AFC Championship, Coach Pagano talked about how tough that loss was to swallow, but he went on to say that had it not been for that loss, he would not have been able to become the head coach of the Colts. His words really spoke to me. Sometimes, we focus so hard on the losses that we do not realize that they can be worked out for our good. If you don’t follow football, there are many examples in the Bible of much more devastating losses than a football game. Think of Job losing all of his family, finances, and fitness. Think of Joseph being thrown in a pit, and then, going to prison. Even though they lost and they had major disappointments, in the end, they gained so much more because God was with them and they were faithful. Now, if you know the story of Coach Pagano, you may know that he was diagnosed with cancer this season. You may ask how someone could consider that a victory. Well, for Coach Pagano, it did turn out to be a victory. With his family, his team and his community’s support, he went through grueling treatments for his cancer and he beat it. He never gave up. He hung in there and he inspired many people along the way. Sometimes, we have to lose so we can win. I’m not going to sit here and write that it doesn’t hurt or that it doesn’t suck. But, when we consider that everything is in God’s control and He has the ability to work every loss into a win, it is hard to stay bitter or discouraged. This year, when Coach Pagano came back to coach his team in the playoffs, he had a completely different perspective when they lost. And, we have to learn how to use our losses, our obstacles, our setbacks as stepping stones. God uses the losses to get us to the wins if we will submit to His will and let Him work, the losses in life help us prepare for the battles we are meant to win. They make us stronger, smarter, and more serious, so that we can be victorious! Ms. EV I spent three years in law school and three years practicing law. It was a career that I wanted form the time I was a little girl, but after a year and a half of school I fell out of love with the idea of becoming an attorney. Choosing not to be a quitter (and to not have to pay back my grant for law school), I finished and I begrudgingly practiced family law to make money and entertainment law for fun…and to make money. Do you know why attorneys make so much money? In school and in practice, I learned that it is because attorneys specialize in the fine print.
You know what the fine print is. It is the teeny tiny words at the bottom of a contract, agreement, article, prescription; the words that look so little, but say so much. It is the part at the end of the commercials that gets read in a low voice and super fast. I was reminded of these little words, these caveats if you will, during my pastor’s sermon on Sunday when he talked about the side effects listed on medication. “Sure,” he said, “the medication might cure one problem, but it could bring on a ton more!” (I’m paraphrasing, but you get the gist). Most of us ignore the fine print because we are so focused on the thing that we want. Whether it is health, housing, a husband or a host of other things we are begging God for, we often forget that just because something seems good doesn’t mean that everything about it is good. We don’t see the potential harmful effects. We don’t see the things that are not guaranteed. We just see what we want. As I am sure my clients were about my ability to read the fine print, I am so glad that God realizes that we fail to read the fine print sometimes. Knowing this, helps me to accept when God says, “No” or “Wait.” I am going to be honest, I said accept, not like because I want what I want when I want it. Nevertheless, doing things my way is how I ended up being a 23-year-old divorcee, so that experience alone should have taught me about reading the fine print. But, alas, it did not. And, I have made some questionable choices since then by only looking at what I want and not paying attention to warnings to go another way. Now, all of this is not to say that you or I should not pursue our passions and dreams. Still, we must be careful. Yes, we trust God to take care of us, but aren’t you tired of God having to dig you out of a hole that you jumped into on your own? All I am saying is that we should take the time to go to God and ask Him to illuminate those things that we cannot see, or those things that we are choosing to ignore. God allows us free will, so if we want to jump head first into something, He will allow it to happen. If you are waiting on God to move in your life though, and you feel like He is saying “No” or “Wait,” chances are there is some fine print that you have not read. If you ask Him, He will show you what you are ready to see. I know it is difficult. In this day and age, everything seems to be so time-sensitive. However, there is no timing like God’s timing. And, the Father of Time does not work on the same timetables that we envision. So, take a little time to read the fine print. See the whole picture and not just the parts that you think will benefit you in the end. Ms. EV I entered a Twitter contest last week that offered four floor seats to the local ABA team, the Jacksonville Giants. Much to my surprise, when I got home, I had a message saying that I had won the tickets. I am not a huge basketball fan. I usually only watch my nephews play and I watch March Madness and the NBA playoffs. But, since I won free tickets and it gave me something to do on a Saturday night, I went to the game.
ABA basketball is a little bit different than NBA and I noticed in the program that they have a rule called the 3D rule. This rule means that if the defending team steals the ball before the offensive team crosses half court, the next shot is worth three points instead of two. So, the teams often incorporate a full court press into the defense, which means they start defending the ball as soon as the other team is awarded possession rather than waiting until they cross the half court. When I was reading about the rule, I thought that this is a good strategy to employ when we are trying to reach our dreams and goals. Many times, when we are going after our dreams, we leave it up to others to bring us the resources we need, or we wait for the perfect plan, the perfect chance to arise to take what we have been after. We set up our defenses and try to prevent anything bad from happening. The thing about a full court press as opposed to a traditional half court defense is that if the offensive player gets past the press, the team on offense generally outnumbers the team on defense and they may have an easier chance to score. But, if the defensive team can get the ball away, they usually have a one-on-one shot at the basket and can score easily. It is a risk versus reward thing. We have to ask ourselves, “Am I ready to fully press in? Am I ready to press into the loving arms of God and step out in faith, knowing He has everything under control? Or will I sit back with my defenses up and just wait to see how things go? Am I willing to risk failing in order to ultimately be successful?” I can only answer those questions for myself. However, I do know that doing things the same way and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So, for me, I have to be willing to try a more aggressive approach every once in awhile. This is not done without praying first. I will not take the step if I feel that God, my coach if you will, has not given me the signal to go after it. And, when I listen, if I don’t get the expected results, I know there is something can learn from it. If my attempt is successful, I might get a little more than I even expected. That, to me, is a win-win situation. It is a lesson I wish I had learned and put into practice long ago. Nevertheless, the past is gone and I can only focus on how I approach my dreams in the future. Another lesson I learned from the ABA 3D rule was that teams will employ the full court press even when they are far ahead in points. Sometimes, when we are successful, we are even less motivated to take a risk than we are when we have failed. I feel like this is when God takes the opportunity to shake up our comfort zone and force us to do something radically different; something that requires that we fully press into our faith and trust in Him. So, when approaching your dreams and goals don’t be afraid to try a full court press. Start attacking from the start, create your own opportunities, and at the very least, you will show the devil and the world that you are serious about your plans. At the very most, you will show God that you trust in His plan. Ms. EV A few years ago, I felt very deeply hurt by someone extremely close to me. As a result, I limited my contact and conversation with the person to try to ease my pain. It did not mean that I did not forgive the person or that I did not love the person, but it seemed to me to be too painful to let the person get as close to me as we once were. What started as me protecting myself became a grudge. Instead of just being cautious, eventually, I became callous; doing my best to exclude this person from as much of my life as possible. I felt completely justified at the time.
Then, while attending a workshop, I heard the question, “Have you ever been hurt or felt betrayed by someone you love?” I was quick to identify with the notion. The overseer of the exercise went on to ask questions like, “Do you still love that person?” and, “Does that person still love you?” and, “How would you react if something happened to that person and you never saw them again? What would be the last interaction that you had with them?” At this point, I started crying my eyes out because, as much as I could point to the pain of feeling hurt by this person, just the thought of anything happening to this person presented a much deeper and more catastrophic type of pain. I began to think if I could live with myself, look myself in the mirror, and know that this person’s last thought of me might be one of me being filled with contempt rather than compassion. I knew I could not begin the road to rebuilding the relationship without God’s guidance and help. And, though we are not nearly as close as we used to be, I know that my love is obvious. I know that if we don’t have a tomorrow together, I have made it known how much I care. And, that is really all we are in control of when it comes to others. Some people are hard to love, but we love them anyway. When we put it in perspective, we should be able to say, “If God can love someone like me, then I should be able to love anybody.” And when we love, we have to love past hurt feelings and feelings of betrayal. That is not an easy thing to do, but God is able to guide us through it. I know because He did it for me. Many times, when we are hurt by those we love, we tend to think that time will heal the wounds, but we are not promised any amount of time on this side of Heaven to make things right. Think about the grudges you hold against the people you love. Think about how you treat them as a result of the pain they imposed. And, even though, you feel justified in punishing them or protecting yourself from experience that type of pain again, think about this: what if you don’t get to fix it? What if there is never another opportunity to say, “You know what, I feel like you were wrong when you did this…. It hurt me. It hurt me, especially because I love you and I know you love me.” Or, vice versa, what if you are the person in the wrong? Think about how it would feel to know that all you had to say was, “I apologize and I love you,” but pride got in the way and now, you will never get the chance. This is not really about the reaction of the other person. This is about you. Can you live with yourself if that person leaves this earth and thinks that you hate them (whether they are right or not)? Can you live with yourself if the last impression that person has of you is you treating them cruelly? I knew I could not do it. So, I asked God to help me move past anger and resentment. I sought God to help me forgive because He is the author of forgiveness. He pulled me through it and He would do the same thing for you. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you don’t get a chance to fix it. Make the choice today to repair what is broken and I promise it will feel like a thousand tons of weight is lifted from your shoulders. Forgiveness and love are the way to go; if not, there would have been no need for Jesus to die on a cross to save you and me. Ms. EV |
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