When people hurt people

Here is a picture of the utter devastation caused by terrorist on 9/11. 

Today has been an exhausting day.  Not only because of the horrific events that happened 13 years ago, but because of my own personal tragedies.  I would never want to compare my pain to those who lost loved one on 9/11 or the trama that they may still be dealing with. You see I'm hurting because I've hurt people.

I recently heard a sermon by Michael Youseff and he stated that a women had written a letter to his ministry office and given a huge check.  The letter went on to state that the money was to go directly to the aid of muslim evangelism.  Here's where I get choked up every time.  You see, her son was killed by a muslim terrorist in front of a military personal building in Little Rock Arkansas, 2009.  I have tried to put myself in the parents shoes.  I know that what she is did is right and not only that, amazing.  But sadly I don't think I would have responded like that.  I probably would have hated every muslim I ever encountered and cursed them to death.  

After hearing that sermon I am all the more convinced that that kind of forgiveness is not only supernatural (meaning it could only come from God) but it is so important to be able to go on. To fully live.  

I have hurt so many people in my life. Some so deeply that I know that only God's sovereign hand could cover and heal that pain.  My selfishness has taken me to some dark roads and I have all but murdered innocent people along the way.  That is why I pray fervently for them and I ask God to bring to mind those that I'm not aware that I've hurt.  Not so I can have the satisfaction of being forgiven but that they would have the ability to forgive me so they can fully live.  That the hurt I've caused doesn't sway them from compassion or harden them. That my name wouldn't bring pain at just the mention of it.  That I wouldn't be the cause of someone wanting to end their life.  These are the things we never think about.  We don't want to think about them.  Hurting someone deeply could be as simple as bullying someone in school.  Making fun of someones looks.  Outcasting someone because they are different than you.  How about absent parents.  I know so many hurting adults because they had absent parents. All kinds of little ( or so we think) things that could have lasting effects on another human being.  Now lets not mention the big ones~ Rape, Molestation, Adultery, Murder.  Selfishness always at the root. 

Galatians 5:19-20 ESV 

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. 

I feel so much regret.  So I pray that those I've hurt can forgive me and I pray that those who hurt us 13 years ago can be forgiven. Not to diminish the pain they have caused or I have caused but that those who have been hurt can fully live. 

Life and Peace~

     I would like to start this post with a verse that spoke to me as I prepared to write about our day.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6  ~ Stay with me as I try to make this post, make sense.

First time for everything~

Last Friday was our very first day of homeschool~ My husband has Fridays off so we decided to start the first day of school together as a family.  We got off to a late start (don't ask) so it was around 10am when we actually began. The prince-A-pal as he refers to himself started things off with a discussion of why we are doing homeschool and the benefits of it.  He talked about our freedoms in this country and how fortunate we are that we CAN do homeschool.  I think this was very clever seeing how we will be studying different cultures around the world this year in our curriculum.  He then went on to state the importance of bringing God into their education and how everything from our language to our ability to think is because of a supreme creator.  Just writing that out right now causes me to ponder on the the complexities of God and say WOW!  My husband closed us in prayer and the fun began!

For those of you who know what a Zhu Zhu pet is, you will get the compassion.

 Just like the Zhu Zhu pet we chattered and toddled along until we hit our first wall.  Then we would try to back up a little bit, straighten ourselves out but inevitably hit the wall again.  Eventually we would get ourselves turned around, just long enough to hit another wall.  This continued for the rest of the day until we decided at 4pm to call it quits. (with still more work left to do) We were all exhausted mentally.  On saturday the kids worked on a few things they still had left to do.  We plan to do a science experiment today to complete the first days lesson plan. Tomorrow we will be caught up and ready to go. 

I know this will get easier. The Lord has walked with us this far and He will continue to provide the necessary provisions to get us through every day.

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:23

 Affiliate programs may be included in this post.  If you click or buy through my blog I get a tiny percentage from sending customers their way.  I'm not making much but as you know every penny counts. Thank you!