Prodigal: I sure am wore out.

Me: Let’s watch some netflix.

Prodigal: Sounds like a plan.

I sat down to watch some netflix before going to bed. I had become obsessed with a random series on netflix. I set out to maybe watch two episodes, and then settle in for the evening. As I finished watching the last episode, one of long lasting characters in the series made an interesting comment. He said, “If she has anger in her heart she has no room to love anyone else.”

I started preparing myself with my nightly routine. I just ran that thought in my head back, and forth. I began to understand why God really wants us to forgive.

As a person, I have had pain in my life. As a therapist I have heard more stories of pain then you can even imagine. What eventually happens is that me, or my client’s in our pain, will ask why?

One blessing the Lord has given me has been the people I have been able to interact with. I have met famous people, unknown people, gorgeous people, homely people, very wealthy people, poor people, popular people, and loners. I have been around the young, and the old. The wise, and the ones that have a lot to learn. I have met people with the deepest secrets, and then ones who are an open book. I have met ones that have high IQ’s, and others with low IQ’s. I have met talkative people, and shy people. I have met working people, and retired people. You know what has been there. They have all experienced emotional pain. They all have not been able to avoid it.

I really truly believe we cannot escape this life without feeling pain, and being hurt. I have asked the question of why God allows pain anyway. I am sure you have heard, well satan is here, and there is evil. That is very true. The next question is , why not just stop evil this second. Zap, it is gone forever. Then we hear, well there is a plan in place. This is also very true. This is where we have two choices. One is to continue to question the plan. The second one is to have faith, and trust in the Lord and accept His plan.

Truthfully, I at times thing I have a better plan then what the Lord has stated in the bible about evil, but let’s look at my background for a second.

Was I there when God caused the earth to be formed? Was I in the garden of Eden? Was I there when the flood came? How about when He called Abraham out to a different land? Was I there when David was crowned king. How about when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Was I there to experience the sacrifice, suffering, and love of the cross?

I can say I was around for the last milliuliem, and this new one too. Some of you reading this can automatically think I am old because of that statement. The truth is though I was not even around when Israel became a nation again in 1948.

With such limited years, and knowledge, do I really know better than a God who has never missed a year, hour, minute or second?

No, I really don’t think we can understand what all His plans mean for us, and others completely. To really trust God, we have to have faith. Not understanding everything, but moving forward anyway. Along the way, He shares scriptures, and wisdom with us. This allows us to know so that we can move forward. Satan tries to block that wisdom.

That character on the show was right. If you are angry, how can you love someone else? With that emotional pain that you experienced, there is another choice that goes along with pain. There is a choice that not understanding means you can never heal. Or there is a choice that God can heal you ,and help you move forward with forgiveness.

In this world, a lot of people believe healing is not possible. They hold on to the pain, refusing to let it go. It is always there, and never leaves. If you hold on to anger, love cannot grow in your heart. Satan is trying to block healing also.

This is why God gave us some wisdom today. We can have healing. It starts with forgiveness. As we continue to look to the Lord, He will show us the steps to this healing. We do have a choice though. Trust the Lord or trust ourselves. Hold on to the emotional pain, anger or allow God to have it. What will be that choice in your heart today?

Ephesians 4:31-32

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

God may not stop all the pain you have experienced. He also may not rewrite history. What He is giving you is wisdom, and a path to move through the pain. Let go of that anger, you can’t love until you do. Let go of that bitterness, you can’t love until you do. Stop the fighting, and slander, you can’t love till you do. Forgive, and that is how you can love again. Forgive, and that is how you can move forward. With forgiveness, your heart begins to heal, and you are able to let the past be the past. You are able to move forward to the future that the Lord wants you to have.

Or keep the anger in your heart, I am sure your life may move forward because time does not stop. Your heart never will.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org