They defamed your name. They broke your heart. They hurt you. They took advantage of you. They ghosted you. You lost some stuff. They took some stuff. They didn’t support you. They didn’t show up for you. Business failed. They fired you. The school didn’t work out. Relationship ended. Car repossessed. They filed the eviction. They cut off your assistance. They mistreated you. They wouldn’t pay you your worth. They questioned your anointing. They mishandled your gifts. They misappropriated your time.
IT WAS PART OF GOD’S PLAN!
Otherwise, you never would have let go. You would have never walked in your purpose. You never would have gotten up. You would have never tried. You never would have been able to step into where you are. You never would have moved. You never would have stepped out on faith.
HAD IT NOT BEEN PART OF GOD’S PLAN!
So, stop being held hostage by what they did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say. Stop being angry over who didn’t show up. It is all a part of God’s plan.
I don’t know who lied to you, broke you, damaged you, took advantage of you, hurt you, abused you, left you, or abandoned you … but doggone it, it’s time you healed.
Yes, the divorce hurt. Yes, their death stung. Yes, you didn’t think they’d be the ones to do this to you. Yes, I know it hurts, but you’ve got to come to terms with it and get up. As hard as it will be, you HAVE to get up or you might not survive.
Get up, even through tears. Get up, even if they’ve yet to apologize. Get up, even if you still have questions. Get up, even if you’re still hurt. Get up, and forgive them. Get up, and forgive you.
I put a comma after get up because I need you to get up, pause, and then take action. Baby, they may have done all the things listed above and then some. They may have tried to tamper with your joy, peace, and mind, but you’re reading this. That means you’re alive, and can see, read, and comprehend.
And because you have life, you also have hope! Pause then take action. Get up and take your life back!
Even if it’s not today, try again tomorrow until you’re fully standing FOR YOU!
It wasn’t cute either. Instead, it was the crying, arms wrapped around your body, trying to catch your breath, I’m tired and I can’t do this on my own anymore kind of yes. See, I was outside of God’s will. Yes, I was going to church and was very good at religion. I’d gotten that thang down and was great at pretending, but I was tore up and suffering with no real relationship with God.
And I was tired. Tired of ignoring His call when He’d wake me up in the middle of the night and interrupt my day. Tired of struggling, financially, and being in over our heads. Tired of the check advances, title loan, bankruptcies, and paying every bill late.
Then on 8/28/14, I stopped running and gave God my yes.
I remember it, vividly! Standing in the last bathroom stall at work silently screaming YES GOD, OKAY YES! Understand, saying yes doesn’t magically erase everything, but it sets you on the path to purpose. When I said yes, it restored what I didn’t know was broken and it stitched what I couldn’t see was bleeding. I stood apologizing to God for all the time I wasted only to realize, had God given me destiny then, I would have messed it up.
This is why I’m grateful for all I/we’ve been through. It made me stronger. I’ve shared this before, but that day, back in 2014, our entire life shifted. God told me it was time to move, and He meant that weekend. Here’s what faith looks like. WE DID! We moved even though we had no clue where we were going. My husband probably thought I was crazy, but he trusted my OBEDIENCE in God because he’d seen me struggling. So, we packed up over Labor Day weekend, 2014, put our stuff in storage, and moved. 3 months later, we rented a house in Southaven. Get this … we didn’t pay a bill late.
But here’s the shout. It was with the SAME MONEY! The money didn’t change, but our mindset did.
Has it always been good? No. Has it always been easy? No. Has it always been fair? No, but it has been all God. It’s been ten years + one day later and I’m still saying yes. Now, I get to say it as a whole pastor of a church. Wow. #thankyouGod
P.S. This tattoo, on my wrist, is purposely of the day after the yes, when God began shifting my life for His purpose.
Sure, you thought you were headed in a different direction. You thought the last stop would last longer. You thought you wouldn’t have to start over again. You thought things were going well. You thought this was it. YOU thought … yeah, but where was God?
At what point will you trust God? When will you trust His direction? When will you trust His plans? When will you actually listen to what He’s saying?
Because here’s what is happening. You’re missing out on enjoying the journey.
I get it. You don’t understand what is happening, spiritually, at the moment. You can’t make sense of why it seems things are happening, over and over. What if it isn’t for you to understand, but for you to trust God’s plan?
What if God is taking you where He needs you and you can’t see it because you’re angry, talking, complaining, or crying too much?
Do me a favor. Put it in God’s hands, pray, trust God, trust you, and enjoy the journey.
Lakisha, the Author 