My loves,

There will be people in your life, with issues. With deep-seated issues and their conflict within themselves will spill over on you and seep into your skin and profoundly affect you.

Is it not your fault. It is not even about you.

I work with people all the time who have jacked up childhoods. Trauma is not only the bad scary things that happened to you. Trauma is what should have happened, but didn’t.

You should have been protected. But weren’t.
You should have been nurtured. But weren’t.
You should have been valued.
You should have been listened to.
But, it didn’t happen because there were people in your life with issues.

If you feel a little screwed up today, you have some work to do, but you don’t have to carry the burden of believing there was always something wrong with you.

Let me tell you the picture Jesus gave to me, when it comes to working through the crud that’s been dealt to us.

Keep rowing.

This hard place that you’re in right now. These confusing, overwhelming thoughts. The instability you feel. The raw emotions. All of it. Imagine yourself in a boat, with Jesus, and all that stuff is just scenery. Paddle down. Now drag it through the water. Pull till there’s a wake.

You will pass through this.

Listen to me. Everything you’re going through, has to be passed through. Don’t give up in the middle. Jesus will get you across, to the other side. There is indeed life, on the other side.

And if your arms are sore, stay in the boat. Let Jesus row for a bit. He will. He is for you. He is for your healing. He is for your progress toward joy and growth and redemption.

Now, pick up your paddle.

And row.