Finding Peace During the Healing Process discussion

This topic will be used for Day 1, "Hurt and Betrayal."

Here are a few questions to reflect on and discuss after reading the devotional entry for Day 1. (Only share as much as you feel comfortable sharing in the comments).

1.) Did reading the entry for Day 1 impact your mood? If yes, how so?

2.) How has hurt and betrayal been a hindrance for you in your relationships with other people? Why do you believe you are having difficulty releasing your feelings of hurt and betrayal?

3.) What are some other healthy ways you would suggest someone confront the person who has betrayed him or her?

4.) Have you asked God to reveal any trauma left from hurt and betrayal to you? What has been exposed?

5.) Will you leave your hurt and betrayal with God, or do you desire reconciliation with the person who has betrayed you? Regardless of your decision, how will you grow from the experience?

1) yes. I found peace in the scriptural references and it gave me hope.

2) Hurt and Betrayal has hindered my relationships by leading to avoidance and anger. I believe I have trouble releasing these feelings because I have spent too much time dwelling on them and not enough time practicing the art of moving my thoughts incrementally in a more positive direction.

3) I think that when you are angry and filled with hate toward someone (like I was with my ex) you have difficulty seeing that they are a complex being too and instead focus on the negative qualities you are fixated on being mad about. I think that by adjusting your view of them as a more complex and human form you are better able to feel love and compassion for their humanity and begin a conversation.

4) I have. I have discovered that my pride kept me from seeing my own culpability in keeping myself in this state. I felt like i was entitled to my victimhood. And by blaming someone else for my problems it was out of my control. I gave my power away. It was in my hands all along. I just had to realize that I have control of myself and forgiveness and love are freeing and as God intended.

5) I always think of the bible verse about the servant who buried his gold and did not multiply it. The gold was his salvation and God intended for him to share it with others. This is a proactive task. I am working on trusting God's will with what he has given me spiritually so that I might share it as he has intended.

Brandy wrote: "3) I think that when you are angry and filled with hate toward someone (like I was with my ex) you have difficulty seeing that they are a complex being too and instead focus on the negative qualities you are fixated on being mad about. I think that by adjusting your view of them as a more complex and human form you are better able to feel love and compassion for their humanity and begin a conversation.

4) I have. I have discovered that my pride kept me from seeing my own culpability in keeping myself in this state. I felt like i was entitled to my victimhood. And by blaming someone else for my problems it was out of my control. I gave my power away. It was in my hands all along. I just had to realize that I have control of myself and forgiveness and love are freeing and as God intended."

Hi, Brandy! :-)

Your responses to questions 3 and 4 really resonated with me. We do sometimes lose sight of how complex other human beings are. During this pandemic, I have had to learn to be patient with others who have difficulty operating in the same "stillness" I have perfected over the years, lol. It would frustrate me when they would put others at risk, specifically my family members. I had to remind myself of what they may be experiencing. While trying to deal with our own situations, we sometimes lose sight of what is going on with the people around us. Considering the complexity of human beings is very helpful advise.

And giving our power away... you said a mouthful. There were times in the past when I would seethe over something and then find out the other person had moved well past whatever the conflict was. Yet I had freely given that person time and space in my mind. I'm much more settled and at peace now that I have refused to give anyone the power to suspend my thought life.