Thank You For the Hurt

Years ago I found myself completely broken. It was the kind of brokenness from the hand of others. The brokenness we feel over ourselves and our humanity was easier for me than this. This time it was nothing I sought out. Others had simply hurt me. In the place of the “Whys” is where I lived. Everyday I cried out, “Why me?” I had always tried to do the right think. People generally liked me. I was not usually the one to be singled out. I soon realized the brokenness in others can break us. It can wound us. Why do hurt people hurt people? I’ve carried the weight of it all for far too long. Life moved on and I even began to understand the “why” a little more. God began to put other hurt people in my path and it was if I could say,”Hey, I get you! I know how that feels.” The Hurt often find a home with one another because they’ve in some way understood how it was that we are healed. Yet, the root of that hurt can linger for oh so long! That place is where I found myself recently. I found myself thrust back into that place of hurt. It’s been quietly tucked away, with a flare up from time to time. This time, however, I just needed to let go and I found myself saying,”Thank you, God, for allowing me to be hurt!” THANK YOU?! From where did the words come? They felt so good! THANK YOU, and the weight began to fall away. How can we thank Him for the pain? For me that day, it was clearer than it had ever been. I had SEEN Him in a way I had not allowed myself to see Him. I believed the words, “He Works all things for good.” ALL THINGS. NOT good for good, but all and everything for good! And He has! I could let myself finally see it. He had been there with me the whole time! Can you thank Him today for the pain? The waters may be rough and murky, but His hand is there when we simply look. Let Him take the hurt and use it for your good. The vulnerable place we feel…there is someone waiting on us to show them, “It’s all gonna be OK”…and yes, we can Thank Him!