What do you do when community leaves you shattered, betrayed and abandoned?
As a child my world was shattered by the lies and betrayal of a close family member. As an adult I faced the betrayal & abandonment of a cherished friend. These instances left me questioning the “why” of the relationships.
When I look back on the situation I realize I didn’t see the “whole” person, I saw just a small portion. I was blind to the complete person while others who were removed from the relationship saw the full picture.
Have you been blind to the complete person, seeing only one side while everyone else sees the other? Have you been abandoned at a point when you needed someone in your corner the most?
When you get right down to it this is the ugly side of dating, friendship, marriage – community.
Entering a relationship makes us vulnerable. Little by little we peel back the protected, fragile places of our heart and allow someone to see our weaknesses. As we allow those fragile places to be exposed we trust they will be handled with care.
But what happens when the trust is shattered…betrayed…abandoned?
What happens when the person we trusted is not who we thought they were, and we are left with our integrity, morals & authenticity being questioned by those around us?
What then?
How do we move beyond the shards of hurt, anger & betrayal? How do we push past the inner struggle of “Why could everyone else see the true person while I was so blind”?
How do we walk into a room & know there are people in that room who question our authenticity?
How do we stand in the spotlight when all we want to do is run & hide in the darkest corner?
How do we open our heart & trust again, because at this point, how do we know what truth is?
These are the questions that plague the soul when relationships break the vulnerable fragile places.
We are left to pick up the pieces, left to wake up & face the next day & the next & the next grasping for the truth.
When we find ourselves in the dark corner it is there where God gently reaches His hand out to us, quietly holding it open for us to place our trembling hand in His strong, loving grip to take the first tentative steps into His Truth.
As we allow Him to pick us up & lead us with His Truth we catch a glimpse of a new world before us.
Slowly He guides us to relationships that give guidance & support. Slowly He brings people forward who give encouragement & validation to the fragile place inside. And slowly He moves us beyond the pain & hurt.
Then, one day we wake up & realize the fragile place inside is stronger than before. We confidently walk into a room no longer wondering who’s questioning our authenticity.
We stand in the spotlight & focus on the Light of Christ instead of finding the darkest corner to hide, because we know God’s Truth and that He Chose us and Loves us and because “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.
In His Calm,
