We Are Not Meant To Stay Broken

     We have all been betrayed in our lives at one time or another. A spouse, friend or coworker, family, in laws even clergy.

     There is no pain like betrayal. You put all your trust in someone, plan your future around their promises and then the rug gets pulled out from under you. 

     Abuse, adultery, lies, loss of hope, sometimes jobs and homes. How do we pick ourselves up from such loss and why isn't the other person suffering?  Have you ever wondered how evil people "get away with murder"? I wonder how people can be so vindictive, steal and lie yet seem to live such good lives. The Psalmist admits, "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked...till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny" Psalm 73:2,3, 17 Basically David is saying that he was pretty upset about how unfair life is, evil people "free of burdens". Until he saw their end. We all have to answer to God for our works. 

     We are foster parents and my children have suffered severe abuse and I wonder why. Why are the biological parents on the streets and not in jail. Whey are they living life with such freedom when all 4 of their children are in the prison of their past.

     To add insult to injury. One of them just got baptized and put it all under the blood. Forgiven, sins forgotten. I have struggled with this the most. How? How can all that be under the blood while my children are suffering? They cannot be touched, held and trust is no where near. How can this be?

     I have been pondering (struggling really) with this for several months. Recently my husband preached about grace. He started out by saying that grace isn't fair. God extends grace to everyone. He doesn't put stipulations on it. Lots of times we hear of deathbed conversions and are moved by them, even pray that our loved ones will experience them. 

       Note:LOVED ONES...not enemies, not those that have hurt us, no, they can get theirs, what goes around comes around etc. Whats wrong with this kind of thinking is that we become consumed by a need for justice. We want to see the guilty party punished. We claim we need closure. 

     The truth is, as long as we are hyper focused on others sins we cannot receive healing. The Bible talks about not letting a root of bitterness spring up in ourselves. (Hebrews 12:15) 

     Now we are human. Most of us  will experience deep hurt and loss. Feel it. Don't suppress it because it will eventually come out. Give God the broken pieces. At the end of my pondering the Lord let me know, WE ARE NOT MEANT TO STAY BROKEN. In my minds eye I picture God standing with both hands outstretched. In one hand he extends GRACE and HEALING in the other. 

     I can imagine Pharaoh running up and snatching grace away from Him over and over and over again until...God hardened his heart. You see we spend so much time worried about the pharaohs in our lives, greedy and unrepentant. We miss out on the other outstretched hand, the other hand reaching to you. Offering healing from your brokenness. Let Him heal you! You are not meant to stay broken!! My kids will not remain broken! 
Recently a friend of mine blogged about similar circumstances and quoted the old hymn, 
"What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus"!