If I Could Sing

3C6D8BA3-C2EB-4123-95A5-15FACDDA33ECTonight, in between laundry and cleaning around the house, I noticed the movie, The Help, was on so it played in the background. I have seen this numerous times, I also have the CD and have played the song I mention over and over. I tend to do that until I get through a period that I am dealing with and to grasp the meaning, feel the pain and heal little by little.

818FE0D1-F58D-4B0C-851B-B4C07E33557FI finally stopped to finish watching the end of the movie, which brought me back to sitting in the movie theater watching this movie with my sister. Usually, the audience leaves when the words ‘The End’ show on the screen and go on their merry way, as we were doing so, too.

As we walked toward the exit in line with a room full of people, the lyrics of the song playing caught my attention and hit me deep within. I sat down and just cried through the song, as if the room was empty and this song was just for me. At that time in my life, it was.

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Still, I cried tonight because I am living proof and each word of how this song resonates with me. If I were to ever sing a song of my testimony, this would be the one. To sing, to write, to tell where I was, where I am and knowing where I am going would be to give hope.

It has has been a long, long journey but in the midst of what I have gone through and the words in the lyrics, I am ready to carry on. Oh Lord, lead and direct me.

A91A6542-2595-4F12-AF26-8F9B56B2A5D9In case you are reading my blog and read through the lyrics and the words hit your heart and feel the pain as it did with me of many years, just know there is HOPE.  In my time of feeling totally alone and emotionally distraught, I knew deep down that the Lord knew my name and He knew where I was. I had to hold onto those words and say often. I am living proof that I made it through. You can, too!  Trust Him.

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Read the lyrics, my testimony.
I’M LIVING PROOF 

It’s gonna be a long long journey
It’s gonna be an uphill climb
It’s gonna be tough fight
It’s gonna be some lonely nights
But I am ready to carry on
I am so glad the worst is over (’cause almost took me out)
I can start living now
I feel like I can do anything
And finally I am not afraid to breathe

Anything you say to me
And everything you do
You can’t deny the truth
‘Cause I am the living proof
So many don’t survive
They just don’t make it through
But look at me
I am the living proof

Oh yes I am

Thinking about life’s been painful
Yes it was
Took a lot to learn how to smile
So now I am gonna talk to my people,
About the storm, about the storm
Oh so glad the worst is over
I can start flying now
My best days are right in front of me
Yeah and I am almost there
‘Cause now I am free

Anything you say to me
And everything you do
You can’t deny the truth
‘Cause I’m the living proof
So many don’t survive
They just don’t make it through
But look at me
I am the living proof

I know where I am going
Hey ’cause I know where I’ve been
I am gonna feel strong that’s showing
I am gonna keep going
That’s the way that I will

Anything you say to me
And everything you do
You can’t deny the truth

‘Cause I’m the living proof
So many those who fight
They just don’t make it through
But look at me hey yeah
I am the living proof

Nothing about my life has been easy
But nothing’s gonna keep me down
‘Cause I know a lot more today
Than I knew yesterday
So I am ready to carry on
Oh Lordie

 

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Damon E Thomas / Mary Blige / Harvey Jr. / Thomas Newman
The Living Proof lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group   2011

Non-Deserving

47092C98-819F-4153-B630-1B8876B32648The memories and thoughts that surfaced in a conversation between my counselor and I were some I would have rather forgotten. Still, they are part of my journey and knowing they always will be.  As I squinched my eyes, shaking my head somewhat of trying to remember but not wanting to remember also, all the while. Regrets of those days being young and stupid. Odds are, we all have those remembrances and regrets. Please tell me I am not alone.A1D8FBA5-BD0D-439B-A0AD-69A7007128EA

Some of these thoughts and memories spoken in our conversation were like thirty-five years ago or more. Of course, some were not even touched upon thankfully but my mind did and a dread was felt within at the time in session, afterward on my drive home and as I write.

In those thoughts and the heaped-up guilt and shame made their appearances to me. Guilt and shame love me and would love to swallow me up whole, spit me out and do it again. Satan has a way of making one feel so unworthy and so underserving of God’s Love. The lies thrown at me were like darts to a dartboard for a bit of being a no-good-for nothing person on the face of this earth and I should be ashamed of what I did back then, I am not a Christian as I profess, no wonder my family disliked me and well, you get the picture.

Thankfully, I knew enough of his tactics and how the game goes of making me want to crawl back into the hole of despair and depression. I do have a few years under my belt of this mental torment plus years of counseling in how to counteract the negative, which I did.687D7D8D-7CB6-41AA-9D6F-80E611C2AE14

I am stronger today in all areas, as I chose to be in order to move forward. I was stuck way too long dealing with the belief of the unworthiness. Exactly, where the enemy wants me, and even you.

Yes, I did some things I regret and am sorry I did and hate that I did, but I did. Life! Forgiveness of others involved is important but also forgiving ourselves is a must. We learn from such incidents and situations hopefully and in my case, I did. Not a life I 968A38BB-9BAA-4986-A741-1ECE6AF3D441wanted to live but in those years I learned that it was not really living, it was running. Running from God. I knew better and I knew He had His Hand upon me from childhood. Even though I was not taught of God’s Love at home, apparently the Vacation Bible School teaching each summer stuck with me plus the many Christians in my path to lead and direct me. So thankful and blessed.

We are all non-deserving of God’s Love but He gives it freely. He gave His all, His life for us to live. So in that, I know that I am worthy and I am worthy of His Love, you also. It took me a very long time to accept that deep within.6128B30C-0CE1-478F-BEEC-21B2F393E74F

Yes, the past memories and thoughts that were mentioned caused some turmoil within but it also brought me to a place of praise. I am not there anymore and I have been forgiven. Trust Him.

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“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.Isaiah 43:18-19.

https://www.guideposts.org/inspiration/inspiring-stories/stories-of-hope/5-bible-verses-to-help-you-let-go-of-past-mistakes