Renewal

Have you ever had a relationship end abruptly? It can be confusing and jarring. This past summer my father passed away and the feelings I felt confused me. You see, my father struggled with alcohol and was abusive at times. I only had communication with him on a couple of occasions in my early adult life and never heard from him over the past 25 years. I thought his passing would provide a sense of relief that a very difficult chapter of my life had ended; however, I felt more disappointed than relieved. Disappointed because he was not able to make amends for all the hurt he caused. It was a mix of emotions that hit at an already hard time in my life and became another dark little cloud that followed me around; until this week.

This week I came across a powerful interview between Oprah and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Rock also had a tough relationship with his father who passed away recently. His following words to Oprah struck a chord in me that I did not know existed: “Now a new relationship with him has formed. Clean slate. No regret. No pain. No complications. Just us.” These words gave me the freedom to see and understand the healing that can take place when we let go and surrender our hurtful memories. Often we carry pain that we were not meant to carry – specifically pain inflicted by others. I can now let this chapter of my childhood close peacefully and open a new chapter of creating a relationship in my father’s memory that is not full of fear but rather filled with compassion and love.

The key to freedom is handing it over to God. Surrendering that which is too heavy for us to carry. Opening up the mental space to allow empathy, understanding and love where there once was fear and pain. Sometimes we need to take our eyes and weights off of ourselves and hand them to God and look to Him to light our next step or next thought. I pray February starts off filled with love in your life and in your heart; along with the possibility of renewal in a difficult relationship.

Resources/Inspiration:

Video:

Dwayne Johnson: Lead With Love – so beautiful!

Verse:

I Corinthians 13: 3a-7 (ERV) “I may give away everything I have to help others, but I gain nothing by doing this if I don’t have love. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope and never quits.”

Item of the Week:

In the spirit of love, I am so excited to announce a new item to the shop. The Valentine’s Day College/Care Package. A perfect gift for a sweet girl in your life to show your love. For more info and to learn about everything that comes in this cute package, please click here. Special Note:  All proceeds from our Valentine’s Day Care Packages will be donated to Vanessa Bryant’s organization, Mamba on Three.