Slow Mo: Overcoming a Rough Childhood – Wednesday
Ephesians 2:4-5
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (NLT)
When I was 5 years old, my world abruptly changed. My grandfather (who raised me like his son) passed away, my mom remarried and I gained a step-dad. Looking back at the years that followed, I can acknowledge there were a lot of mistakes made. I didn’t want a step-dad…I just wanted my grandfather back, so I didn’t give him a chance. At the same time, he was young and didn’t know the first thing about raising a broken child. Because of that, our relationship was rocky. There were moments we got along… and there were quite a few moments we didn’t. I felt unwanted… and I’m sure he felt the same.
As we’ve grown and matured, I think I can speak for both of us that we acknowledge the mistakes we made. Neither one of us knew what we were doing and did the best we could with what we had… but it wasn’t a picture-perfect relationship.
We can all probably look back on our childhood and find hard and even traumatic events and experiences. Sadly, there isn’t always an answer for why things happened the way they did. Sin is a part of this world…so things aren’t perfect. Sometimes trauma happens. Sometimes things just don’t work out the way we think they should.
BUT GOD…
Quite possibly my two favorite words in the Bible. It’s when God steps in. Moses was abandoned, BUT GOD sent Pharaoh's daughter down to the river at that exact moment. I had some hard moments as a child, BUT GOD used those moments to show me how much I needed a perfect Heavenly Father. Remember, no matter what circumstances life has given you. No matter if you had a picture-perfect childhood or a less-than-ideal one. Remember you may not know how to move forward, BUT GOD does. Lean into Him.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Thank God for being your Dad. Thank Him for giving you perfect love and for always leading you down the correct path. Thank Him for drawing you to Him. And thank Him for your family…no matter how imperfect they (or you) might be.
If you need to talk to someone here at Southland give us a call at 859-224-1600. Or if you’ve had some trauma in your life and need to speak with a counselor, click here to start the referral process.