You cannot heal
someone else’s spiritual wounds
with words
or reason
however
you can be
a living example
of healing
and a walking message
of the love that healing brings
allow the depths of your heart
to speak deeply
into that place in others
where words and reason
fall short of reaching
REACHING DEEPLY
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Meditations of a Gentle Warrior
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Self pity is a trap.
It is like quicksand for the soul.
Not only does it drag you down into darkness, but it also pulls others down with you.
It steals the light and the joy from your life and your presence.
It makes you miserable and miserable to be around.
None of this is to say that you cannot be sad, hurt, or suffer grief, remorse, or regret.
These are different from self pity in that self pity is a choice to feel these beyond their usefulness.
Life can be difficult.
It can be tragic, heartbreaking, and baffling.
However you feel as the result of life’s challenges is how you feel, but do not make it worse than it already is by feeling sorry for yourself or expecting others to do the same.
Forgiveness is not easy.
Your trauma is part of your identity.
The chains of your suffering feel like a security blanket.
Your anger, fear, and sadness become your safe space.
They feel comfortable and familiar.
After all, they have kept you alive for this long.
It feels as if to let go of your suffering would be to die.
Quite often, however, that which you feel has helped you to survive is actually the thing that has kept you from thriving.
That which you hold onto from your past is preventing you from living to your full potential.
If you want to be free of this burden, if you want to truly live, you must first be willing to let go of your suffering.
You must be willing to forgive.
Healing begins with forgiveness.
Whatever trauma, hardships, or wrongdoings you have suffered in the past are in the past.
Keeping them with you as you move forward only serves to cause you more pain and suffering.
Holding onto these experiences becomes an unbearable burden that drags you down into the pits of anger, sadness, and despair.
You have to learn to let go.
You have to learn to move on.
But the only way to do this is through forgiveness.
Forgiveness is the key to unlocking the chains that bind you to your past.
Give yourself time and space to heal.
You cannot overcome trauma or injury with brute force.
Be gentle with yourself.
Be kind to yourself.
Take as long as you need.
Seek out whatever help you can find.
Lean into the healing process and be patient.
Everything else can wait.
You deserve to be healthy and whole.
You deserve to be well.
Your future self will thank you.
Your future relationships will thank you.
You are the only you there is, so take care of yourself.
Meditations on God 