Distress Signal

Recently I was floating on the lake and chatting with a friend. We looked like a couple of geese as we were soaking in the sun, and as girlfriends often do, we were reflecting on some deep wounds and how they have affected us in our lives when we were young and how our personal characters have been sculpted because of these emotional and difficult, and sometimes painful events in our lives. I was surprised as she described me as an angry person back when, though as any girlfriend would do, she was quick to tell me, how much I have changed. I have to say for a split second…

I Felt A Little Angry!

Of all the character descriptions, that would not have been the one I would like to be remembered as, however I appreciated her keeping it real. I know that some of my deep wounds have required a long period of healing, but as I thought about it she was right. I was sending out “distress signals" back then, but they were easily misunderstood. What I have learned is that, anger is a very necessary step in working through pain of deep emotional injury from another. Anger, (without vengeance) is God’s mechanism for protecting us when we have been hurt by another. My point is this, when I was in distress and had no escape from my pain, I took it directly to God and He listened. I just love the thought of God bending down and listening, don't you?

From the Lord comes my deliverance!

~ Psalms 3:8