Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.
Isaiah 49:15 NKJV
It’s hard to enjoy today when you carry the pain of many yesterdays with you.
For years things that happened in everyday life reminded me of trauma and abuse from the past. A simple word or action, even a smell, had me reliving an eventI would rather forget. Nightmares plagued me. I hardly slept, and fear tormented me day and night.
When you’ve been through traumatic situations, it can be hard to let go of the hurt and pain, and it can be hard to move on. You may have tried to let go, yet thepain seems to hold you captive, unwilling to release you from its grip.
This happened to me. I forgave and forgave, but the feelings never truly went away.
One day, while a group of people surrounded me in prayer about this very situation,someone asked, “Do you need to forgive them?”
“I have forgiven, over and over, but something is still there. It just won’t go away.” Tears came to my eyes. I so wanted to be free.
That’s when one woman came and sat in front of me. She put her hands on my shoulders and said, “What do you want to say to them?”
And then it all just came flowing out. The feelings of hatred, anger, abandonment, and bitterness all came out into the open.
After I had let those words carry the feelings out of me, the people who prayed with me walked me through the process of forgiving, one more time. This time, it was for real.
I walked out of that ministry time free; Free of the hatred I had held in my heart for so long, free of the burden of what had been done to me. My todays have become my own. I am no longer tormented, haunted by a past I can never change.
You may have been hurt terribly and tried to forgive, only to be tormented still. You may have wondered why it hasn’t worked for you, and if you would ever truly be free.
Could it be possible that there are still things you need to say to the person who hurt you? You may not be able to say it to them directly, and it might not be safe to do so. But, you can seek out trusted people to help you get your feelings out.
You can be free. God has not forgotten you. He has the perfect plan for your restoration and He knows exactly what you need.
Prayer
Lord, thank you that you have a plan for my healing, that You have not forgotten me and you know exactly what I need. Lead me and guide me into what you have for me. I want to forgive. I want to be free. In Jesus name, Amen
God Has Not Forgotten You, Taken from the Book Lord, I’m Broken by Carolyn Rice
Copyright Carolyn Rice 2016
