I’m surrounded by some of the greatest women created by God. 😉 There is no greater way to go through what life throws at you than to have God-fearing women by your side ready to dish out a bit of my own medicine.
One friend just said to me a few minutes before writing this post, “You give the best advice but most of the time it’s hard to hear. That’s what makes it so good because you challenge us and let us know we can survive it. It’s time you listen to your own advice.”
This is how God showed up for me today through a barrage of women in my life. Actually it began yesterday when I met a girlfriend for lunch who asked to pray over me before I had my appointment and then last night when I met a girlfriend for dinner and ‘unloaded’. If there is one piece of advice I do give that I will follow it is to DUMP IT (get it out, EXPOSE IT, talk,) however you need to let it go. Word vomit. (Ewe…) 😉 But at least it doesn’t fester and spoil inside of you.
At 11am I received the following text from another girlfriend who doesn’t even know what’s going on she is just following the blog:
“Although I have not experienced something dramatic as an abuse I can somewhat relate to stuffing of bad memories or situations. Like you said, it is really hard when they surface but once you move through it, it is freeing. I always go back to the saying,”Through pain comes growth. Without pain there is no growth.” Just remember (she continued),
I then met with a friend for lunch today who provided a time to simply ‘lunch’ without the need to share…sometimes we just need that too. 🙂 And before I knew it I received a call from another girlfriend offering encouragement and then another and another!
What makes all of this sudden ‘attention’ so special for today is that I know that at some point I’m going to have to stop ‘stuffing it’ because at this point it’s undone and can’t be stuffed back in. I went through the day trying to avoid any free moment for fear I’d completely fall apart but then I’d get the encouragement and I know that today doesn’t have to be ‘the day’. There is no time limit or deadline.
I just can’t walk around with my ‘stuff’ hanging out and one day I’ll take my own advice and deal with it because I know I’m worth it and Lord knows I’m strong enough! 😀
Thank God for the friends in your life that love even your ‘ugly’. 🙂
Blessings
Shannon