Did you know that value exists in all painful pasts, no matter how horrible those prior years may have been?
So often, we would much rather forget the pain of those moments and what occurred that caused such suffering. Yet attempting to do so is a fruitless endeavor. For the temptation to block out horrendous chapters of our lives chase after us. Such a situation happens even more when those chapters include actions we are not proud of or fill us with agony. However, there is value in remembering such painful moments. It may be hard to believe, but I know from experience this is true.
Aldous, from The Hidden Diamond, spent most of his adult existence attempting to bury his past. In addition, Natalie, from Robin’s Gift, went as far as having a burning ceremony in hopes of erasing her torturous memories. She resorted to this activity in her fruitless attempt to wipe out painful elements from her past. I know firsthand that all a burning ceremony accomplishes is to create an even larger hole in an aching heart.
Like the shadow figure that chased after Natalie in her nightmares, we cannot escape our past. However, it is tempting to try, especially when the raging torment of abuse fills your every breathing moment. When overtaken by that never-ending, intense pain, your greatest desire is relief. Yet, we can’t forget the trials we have faced. And as hard as it may be to accept, we should not attempt to do so.
Become an Overcomer!
No matter how hard you try, no one possesses the power to make the past go away. In addition, it’s not healthy to attempt to do so. It is not healthy because each trial carries within it a valuable lesson. When you are willing to learn from that lesson, you will grow. Become an overcomer! Use those traumas you have faced, for they forged the person who you are today. As written about in The Hidden Diamond, without the abundant degree of pressure placed on an ordinary lump of coal, a diamond would never shine with such glory. So, stand with pride and claim the glory of that precious jewel that life has forged you into.
From The Hidden Diamond
“Mr. Aldous’s heart seems extra hard.”
“You know, Koty. That’s how diamonds are made.” Mommy ran her hand over my hair.
“Huh?”
“That’s right.” Daddy winked at Mommy.
With a quick jerk, I turned my head from one parent to the other.
“All diamonds start as a lump of coal. After many years of being buried deep within the earth, all that pressure and burden, combined with time, convert the ugly piece of coal into a beautiful diamond.”
I stared at Daddy in disbelief. “Is God turning Mr. Aldous into a diamond?”
Mommy chuckled. “You could say that. We all have a diamond hidden inside of us.” She tapped me softly on the chest. “But also, each one of us carries a vial of poison. It’s up to us which one we choose to let into the light for everyone to see and which one we keep buried.”
“I guess today Good Ol’ Al chose his vial of poison. Do you think, someday, he will take out his diamond instead and let it shine?”
To see more Crystalisms, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/1360983917796761.
Hope
“It’s a good thing to hope for help from God. I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope.”
This declaration sounds like something said today by someone fighting through a current trial. Yet, it originated around 2600 years ago. Today, we can find it in Lamentations 3:19-21 MSG. So many solid statements from the past still contain truth in our present century. Hence, hold tight to hope, for it remains foundational to getting us through our day-to-day trials.
The Teacher of Suffering
Disparity yawns like a terrible chasm. However, suffering is a teacher. But haven’t I learned enough? Apparently, I haven’t. I say this because, recently, I’ve had the opportunity to do just that and hold onto hope in a time of tribulation. As a result of my experiences, a firm part of my hope rests in believing that every trial is laced with something beneficial. I place hope in finding that valuable jewel.
Over the past many months, my pain level has risen considerably, rendering me nearly unfunctional. Knowing God gives opportunities for growth within each hardship, I decided to seek out that lesson. Typically, I struggle with taking downtime. In contrast, I often am reminded that God teaches balance in all things. That balance would include a time for work and a time for rest. By rest, I don’t think He means the eight hours we spend each night asleep in our beds.
My Lesson
I became determined not to fret over the fact that I could not function as I desired. Instead, I decided to use this situation as an opportunity to learn.
Lesson one—take pleasure in downtime. But to do that, I had to stop my well-honed pattern of pushing through pain. Instead, I must listen to my body like a parent listens to their child. So, when my body says it is tired or hurting too much, I will stop what I am doing and give myself a moment of rest.
Lesson two—I have always taken pride in preparing healthy, home-cooked meals for my family. As a result, over time, I’ve taken over the cooking to the extent that Rich has never needed to cook. Since my pain has risen to such a heightened level, the effort it takes to prepare a meal just about takes me out. The grief of this new reality attacked my ability to hold onto joy. Then I remembered to look for the hidden lesson—this may be the perfect opportunity to teach Rich how to cook.
The Results
Step by step, I taught Rich how to prepare a basic goulash and some other simple items. The experience of cooking together became a fun bonding moment. Recently, he scrubbed, sliced, coated, and air-fried potato wedges on his own. Gaining such a skill builds confidence. And doing all the cooking withheld that piece of confidence from him. His learning to cook provided Rich with the opportunity to grow. Also, giving up the image that I must do all the cooking gave me growth.
Where did I get that obsolete, harmful image? From my parents. It came as a part of the emotional abuse they so excessively dished out. They taught me that I must be subservient to others under all circumstances. For decades, I robotically lived out that expectation. But the opportunity came to overcome that trauma, so I took it, and with that came growth.
Take the Challenge
Search within yourself. In what areas do you mechanically go about your days, living out programmed ways that impede your growth? We all have such areas within us, even those who come from the most ideal homes. Take the opportunities life offers. Use such situations as learning moments to grow beyond what you have always known. Then, sit back and feel the fulfillment of such growth.
Note To My Readers
Hopefully, you have gained value from this blog post. If you have, I would like to offer you the opportunity to purchase my books. You can buy The Hidden Diamond and Robin’s Gift at BUY-the-BOOK https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-. Two additional sites where you can find my books are https://bkbookshoppe.com and https://bizybookstore.com.
Each purchase of my books supports my mission to help those trapped in abuse break those chains and find their way to freedom while drawing closer to their Maker. Once you have read either of my books, feel free to leave a review on the site you purchased from. Your review will encourage others also to seek out the path of healing.
Adult Physical Abuse—My Experience A Reinterpretation Balance Balancing on a Tightrope Boundaries Breaking Out By Giving You Receive Childhood Physical Abuse—My Experience Excerpt from The Hidden Diamond Find the Blessing Within Foster The Gratitude Attitude Free Giveaway From Robin’s Gift Happenings or Interpretations? Hope Invite My Experience New Year Resolution Note To My Readers Overcoming Depression Resources Robin’s Gift Robin’s Gift – A Sneak Peak Sacred Gift Bearing Seek Understanding Shame Has No Place Summer’s Story Surviving Dark Years Take a Step Back. Take the Challenge The Abuser The Commitment to Braking Chains of Abuse The Fantasy Flaw The Gift of Jesus The Hidden Diamond The Power of Gratitude The Tenth Commandment To My Readers Unhealed Wounds Unwittingly Harm Others. Upcoming Posts We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know. What Gift Will You Bring? Why I Write You Are Worthy! Your New Year’s Resolution
