Have You Been Hurt? Three Words That Can Lead to Healing

I must first apologize to my male readers, this article is dedicated to all the ladies who have been hurt in the past and are still hurting today. So, let me begin again. Have you been hurt? God knows we have been hurt time and time again.

Hurt by men, yes men, who have decided to use and abuse us and cheat on us; men who have left us to raise children on our own; fathers who have abandoned us; men who treat us unfairly in the workforce; mothers who abandoned us; sisters who pick on us, compete with us, and stab us in the back; and children who dishonour us and turn their backs on us. The list is endless... I could go on forever.

In light of International Women's Day, I aim to shed some light into the dark crevices of our souls. 

Yes, we have been hurt, but we are still standing.  Yes, we have been broken, but not defeated.  Yes, we have been burned, but like Phoenix, we rise from the ashes.

Now we must honor ourselves and those who have gone before us.  

We must pick up the torch from whence we burn and rise with it.  

We must mend the broken pieces back together like a beautiful kaleidoscope or a cathedral window and shine from within.  

We must forgive the demons of our past and let the God who has kept us, be glorified.  

We must let go of the baggage and rise.  

Like previous torchbearers, we must let our light shine.

How can we do this, you may ask?  

I am going to suggest three simple words that I have grown to find solace in.  Are you ready for them? Brace yourself.  They are forgiveness, press, and peace.

Forgiveness

We must trade unforgiveness in our hearts with forgiveness.  Forgive them for they know not what they have done.  The hurt, the betrayal, the disappointment, and the pain we encounter have nothing to do with us per se.  We are fighting a battle we know nothing about. But, you need not fight this battle.  Arise; stand firm and see the deliverance that will come to you.  The people we once loved and lost are not our enemies.  We wrestle not against human beings, but against principalities, and powers, against the darkness of this world, and against unseen wickedness in high places that pits us against each other.  People are merely channels for the evil we encounter. For this reason, we must find it in our hearts to forgive them—forgive them because they have no idea what they are doing or have done. If they knew, they wouldn't have done it.

Press

Only when we forgive, we can truly be healed of emotional wounds. Only when we heal, we can get up and rise from the ashes.  To rise requires us to press. A sprinter must press against the earth to take off and fly. So set a goal and press towards it. In pursuit of our goals, we trade evil for good. It is during our darkest moments that we must press to see the light.

Peace

Finally, we must make peace with our path. Without peace, we continue to live in fear, hatred and chaos. In the absence of peace, we accomplish nothing but more pain and misery.

So, cheers to all the women and girls in this life who are pressing through the agony of forgiveness to find peace! Yes, you have been hurt but you're still standing. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us continue to strive for healing because we cannot stand if we are divided against our inner self. Let's eliminate barriers to peace one at a time—starting with ourselves. Yes, we may have been hurt, but we don't have to let that hurt hold us back! (edited for flow and grammar Nov 7, 2024).

Until next time,

Be Blessed. Be Bold. Be Strong. Be you!

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Andrene Gregory is a life coach at Aggie Strong Ultimate Life Coaching Services. She provides one-to-one coaching and group workshops to adults seeking to improve their life skills, lifestyle and leadership capabilities for greater confidence and work-life balance. She is the Author of Ahh... to Zen! An A to Z Guide to a Great Life. 


You may follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more information. 

Disclaimer: This article was initially written for Hi-Rise Newspaper