Happy Easter!

We have begun a new journey!  This is a time of life and renewal, it is a celebration of joy and rebirth.  I do pray you are stepping a bit lighter, having given yourself over to the excitement of His resurrection!The truth of where you are at, may in fact be quite different than this place of joy.  I just received an email from a young girl that was an honest cry of hurt and sorrow.  She and a friend found themselves trying to deal with pain by cutting, which unfortunately is a common act in teens today.  I thought I would post my response for you, in the event that you have found yourself in such a place.  Her name is not mentioned for obvious reasons.  My comments:Hey, I am so sorry to hear about some of the struggles you have encountered. It can be very difficult to try and cope with things people have said, or just trying to make it day by day. That being said, I must say that I am praying you realize the path of cutting is not one that can help you in any way. It is a dangerous place to be. First, because you are of such great value, both to family/friends, but even more to God, who has made you in His image and likeness. I know it can seem difficult to hold this to be true since we don’t often feel Him in our tough times, yet the truth isn’t dependent upon our emotions or feelings. You are more valuable than you’ve ever imagined, and hurting yourself by cutting, to try and deal with pain is not going to bring the peace you so long for. Sometimes people run to drugs or alcohol to try and numb themselves from difficulties, but these also are dead ends. You have to see yourself as a child of God; and even if you’ve struggles with sins or a lack of self assurance, the truth is that God knows and loves you deeply. Another quick point is that the reason cutting is done in areas that can be hidden is that deep down we know that it is something that is not ‘right’. What I really want you to think about is how you’d feel if someone you loved and cared about was intentionally hurting themselves; it would be so hard to see happen. The truth is, God is wanting you to run to Him with these moments of frustration and lonliness. Run to Him and find the peace you need. I know you have heard this stuff before, but I wanted to remind you that you are so loved. Thanks for your openess, and know that I am cheering you on! God bless.

encouragement |