I have a handful of moments that have shaped me as a person. This being one. I sat on my couch feeling quite defenseless and humble. I will never forget the moment that I was sitting in front of her.

I knew what I had to do.

I had to ask for forgiveness.

Why?

Because I had betrayed her.

You find yourself today in a place that you never thought you would be. You never saw it coming. You weren’t prepared for this. Sure, you knew this life would have its challenges, but you never imagined it would look like this or feel like this. You have discovered a whole new layer of pain that you didn’t know existed… and you wish you could go back. You didn’t ask for this and it has changed you in a way that you never wanted...

This world can be a very difficult place to live. No matter how hard we try to keep ourselves from pain, it seems there is no way to escape getting hurt in this life. There are times that it can seem simpler to overlook situations that cause us pain, but I believe it is essential that we understand our hurts and our brokenness. In every situation, we are offered time to be wounded. It is essential that we allow ourselves this time and the grace to be hurt and broken. However, our hurts won’t stay “hurts” forever, they change. Our brokenness that is left unattended will become bitterness, and our hurt that is left unaddressed will become hate...