Seeing Roses
You've heard the saying, "Hurt people hurt people."
This saying almost cuts deep into our hearts. Hurt people, hurt people.
It starts with getting our feelings hurt on the playground. Escalating to not being invited to the super secret sleepover after your friend's birthday party. This feeling of hurt never goes away. We have all been hurt by people. We have hurt others one way or another.
There are seasons where this hurt follows us around, weighing heavily on our shoulders. I recently have found myself in this season. I was hurt by people I so deeply loved and cared about. I've been deeply hurt and walked away from. I've been walked away from the ones who promised to stay. That sting felt painful in my heart for quite some time. So did anger and bitterness. It was so prevalent in my life. I saw every flaw in the people who hurt me. Every wrongdoing. Every thorn.
Isolation feels a whole lot safer than risking getting hurt again. Many of us get hurt at the hands of the community. At the hands of people, we love so dearly. At the hands of God’s children.
I can imagine you have felt bitter before. Someone hurts you or someone you love. Your heart becomes consumed with bitterness. You begin to put glasses on that only see thorns and pricks: every odd branch and dead pedal.
While I know I was not the only one walking through this pain of being hurt by the hands of community, it surely felt like it. – Who would know what I was feeling? Who would understand how much my heart hurts? Jesus did. Jesus does.
Jesus has been hurt. He's been hurt more than once. His community has hurt him. The ones he trusted betrayed Him. "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus took bread in the night in which He was betrayed." – (1 Corinthians 11:3).
Jesus took on betrayal, took on shame, and took on hurt. Jesus saw the roses on people who used their thorns to hurt Him. He saw roses.
So, you may have been hurt before. But you also have been deeply loved. Let us begin to forgive other’s thorns, and start seeing roses on the hands that have hurt you. Jesus is here to walk this journey with you, daughter.
ASK YOURSELF: Are you currently dealing with hurt at the hands of community? If you are, are you seeing roses or thorns? Have you given Jesus your hurt?
PRAY THIS PRAYER: Jesus, help me be more like you. Help me forgive the ones who have deeply hurt me. Help me see roses and find compassion in every situation. Thank you for bearing my sin and shame and taking my hurt. Amen.
