Installment # 2

I wish I could quote large chunks to help make sense of these quotes. Just know that in context this becomes much clearer. I’m sure your mind can come up with the appropriate scenario and enlargement for each one of them.

Page 35: If you have been hurt by someone — if you been betrayed, abused, abandoned, gossiped about, whatever — there comes a time when you have to pull yourself from the pain of that situation and say, “Enough is enough”

Reliving the memory and hanging on to the pain is counter productive.

Page 37: God wants to heal you from your wounds, but first you have to let Him.

And before you let Him, you have to admit to your brokenness.

Page 71: I have noticed that when people struggle with unforgiveness, it shows. This is an absolute: Hold on to a grievance or hate as if your life depended on it, and I will show you emotional, spiritual and even physical decay.

Research shows people who dwell on an offense regularly tend to have high blood pressure and increased muscle tension.

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You’ve probably noticed the spread between the second and third quotes. Basically the discussion in the in-between pages was focused on forgiveness. I think the final quote sums it all up quite nicely.

As a teen and young adult I was offended when the current doctor offered an opinion that my digestive issues were psychosomatic. I was offended each time. I thought they were telling me it was all in my head. I was imagining things. 

I was relieved years later, when I realized what they were really telling me was that my physical distress was being caused by my emotional anxiety. It was all very real, there just was not a physical reason behind it.

I think most of us are so caught up in our emotional pain that we barely notice what’s happening to our bodies. Sometimes our body has to yell to catch our attention. Sometimes that yelling is a major wake-up call and we are left wishing we had noticed sooner.

Jentezen Franklin is trying to encourage us to pay attention, he is hoping to provide useful tools for needed changes.

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I’m working on paying attention. I hope you are too.

More to follow.

Check out the book for more insights.