Have you ever had one of those moments when you hear someone talking about an experience or feeling that you thought only you could possibly have experienced or felt???
Or maybe you carried a feeling of guilt or shame for far too long over something that happened years ago or is still a part of your life today, and when you finally shared it with someone, you finally felt like you could breathe again??
Or maybe you’re still carrying something, feeling like you’re walking around with the weight of the world on your shoulders, just desperate to feel known, accepted, loved…?
I’ve been there. To be completely honest, I still am there today and still struggling to come to terms about what has happened. And I’m guessing most of us have. In our fast-paced, quick-fix focused, superficial culture, it’s super easy to feel like you can never share parts of your life and parts of your heart with even the people closest to you. Too often this leaves us feeling weighed down, isolated, unseen, unheard, unknown, or unloved.
4 years ago, I experienced something that I thought no one had ever experienced. When I was 15, I was sexually abused by a guy who I thought I could trust. I have kept this a secret for FOUR YEARS! I have felt weighed down, isolated, unseen, unheard, unknown, and unloved. I didn’t tell a single soul about this incident due to what others would think/say. It wasn’t until January 2018 where I got to share this horrific incident in front of my family, friends, peers, and complete strangers whom I’ve never met before. I was vulnerable and scared out of my mind about what these people would think/say about me – just like I am right now writing this post.
It’s so easy to allow our experiences with the people in our lives to skew our perception of who God is. So many of us look at Him as a God who judges harshly when we’re vulnerable and slaps our wrists when we slip up in sin. I know I’ve looked at Him that way, and sometimes I still do.
But the beautiful truth is that God isn’t a slap on the wrist… He is a warm embrace. He doesn’t forsake us, He welcomes us with open arms. When we come to Him with our struggles, our burdens, and our shame, He comes beside us with love, grace, and mercy, and says, “Thank you for opening your heart to Me. I love you. Now let’s walk through this together.”
Wherever you are… I just want you to know that you are heard.And not only are you heard but you are known. You are known by a God who loves and cherishes you for every part of your being and just wants to walk through the hard stuff with you! All it takes is that scary, vulnerable, powerful first step of sharing our stories and putting our junk out for us to see the beauty in it, to see how it’s shaped us, and to be reminded that God loves us – all of us.
So just in case no one has ever told you this:
YOUR STORY MATTERS
It matters to me, and it matters to the One who created you and walks every step with you. He wants you to run to Him in times of trouble! Find the beauty in what has happened to you!
With love, D
