Man, you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from some terrible lies.
Yes, the lyric is technically wrong according to the writers of the song ("...some terrible nights" is the correct phrase), but that doesn't matter. It can go either way for these stories.
This is my first-ever requested post. I have carefully considered every word. I have consulted with several people on the subject. What you are about to read is not only a result of my personal experiences, but of many other sources. These are the stories of overcomers. These are the stories of strong, victorious people. These are the stories that almost didn't happen. These are the stories of people who made a choice to rise above their circumstance. These are the stories of your friends, your family, your co-workers. These are your stories.
A young girl's innocence is taken from her. Her heartache is something she cannot express. To anyone. Haunted by past events, discouraging words, and an overall sense of insecurity and worthlessness, she believes she cannot go on like this anymore. During her darkest time, hope radiated from small child - a child she did not know. She realized how much she had and how much she had to look forward to. Today, she is living out those dreams, and discovering new ones.
A girl, a guarded heart, and a friend that single-handedly knocked down that wall just to build it back up. Opening herself up to a world outside of her comfort zone, she realized how much she was missing out on because of her excuses. An unmeasurable amount of trust was placed in her friend. Then her friend started to change, and treated her like she didn't matter. She had invested so much into this relationship. She was told she acted emotionless and it was "exhausting" to be friends with someone like that. Feeling worthless and betrayed, she closed her walls and shut them out. It was several months before she got over the hurtful things that were said and done to her, but she learned to let people in again. She learned to step out of her comfort zone on her terms.
A lifelong friend and a lifetime of disappointment. These two friends literally spent their entire lives together. As adolescence took over, each faced their own demons, some stronger than others. Thus begins the cycle: friends-to-enemies-to-reconciliation-to-friends-to-enemies-to-reconciliation... let's just say it's complicated. Though in her nature to help and extend grace such as Christ did, the heartache she experiences every time her friend betrays her is too much to bear sometimes. But her unconditional love and respect for her friend is admirable to others.
A young man who was told he would never amount to anything because he was disabled. A man who spent his whole life hearing his dreams were meant for someone else. After years of prayerfully seeking God's plan for his life, he courageously stepped out from behind the lies he was told and stood before a congregation where he delivered one of the most powerful sermons the church had ever heard. His disability had no effect on God's plan for his life. What seemed to be a crutch was actually a catapult for his ministry.
As for me - well, I've talked about it before. Last year proved to be the most difficult year of my life thus far. I endured an emotional roller coaster from very first moment of January 1st. People disappoint you. And placing all of your faith in them is not their fault - it's yours. That was a hard lesson to learn. I trusted people with secrets, bills, a place to live, parts of my heart that were hard to release - and they all let me down when I needed them most. They left me at the first sign of trouble, when I was most fragile. In the process, they turned everyone against me. Literally, everyone who I had called a friend left me because of the "untruths" that were told about me. The confidants that weren't there for me. I found my way back to God and church. I found a place that felt like home. I found a place where there are people - people who care. I found friends. I found accountability. I found purpose. I am finding myself and who I am in God's eyes. All of those lies everyone believed, that I believed lead me to my breaking point. Instead of giving up, I turned to my faith and was able to see they were merely stepping stones in the long journey to forgiveness. My heart is softer. My love is deeper. And I'm only getting started.
I asked a friend to read over the lyrics to the song and let it speak to her personal experiences. A few hours later, I received a message from her apologizing because she really couldn't relate to them. My initial reaction was "Well, good for you..." with a snarky attitude. I was Gibbs slapped hard by the Holy Spirit for that attitude. Then I thought about it... good for you! To be in your mid-twenties and able to say that the loneliness and heartache expressed in this song is something you've never had to endure - that's pretty incredible.
But for those of us who have let the loneliness and the negativity get to us - the lessons to be learned are unmeasurable. I could tell you not to believe the lies, but we all do it sometimes. I could tell you to hold on to hope, but sometimes the line is too blurred. I could tell you that you're going to have a great testimony, but that doesn't take away the hurt you're feeling right now.
People are going to lie to you. You are going to believe them. Your world is going to come crashing in around you. You will rise above it. Amazing things are going to come from your pain.
A girl, a guarded heart, and a friend that single-handedly knocked down that wall just to build it back up. Opening herself up to a world outside of her comfort zone, she realized how much she was missing out on because of her excuses. An unmeasurable amount of trust was placed in her friend. Then her friend started to change, and treated her like she didn't matter. She had invested so much into this relationship. She was told she acted emotionless and it was "exhausting" to be friends with someone like that. Feeling worthless and betrayed, she closed her walls and shut them out. It was several months before she got over the hurtful things that were said and done to her, but she learned to let people in again. She learned to step out of her comfort zone on her terms.
A lifelong friend and a lifetime of disappointment. These two friends literally spent their entire lives together. As adolescence took over, each faced their own demons, some stronger than others. Thus begins the cycle: friends-to-enemies-to-reconciliation-to-friends-to-enemies-to-reconciliation... let's just say it's complicated. Though in her nature to help and extend grace such as Christ did, the heartache she experiences every time her friend betrays her is too much to bear sometimes. But her unconditional love and respect for her friend is admirable to others.
A young man who was told he would never amount to anything because he was disabled. A man who spent his whole life hearing his dreams were meant for someone else. After years of prayerfully seeking God's plan for his life, he courageously stepped out from behind the lies he was told and stood before a congregation where he delivered one of the most powerful sermons the church had ever heard. His disability had no effect on God's plan for his life. What seemed to be a crutch was actually a catapult for his ministry.
As for me - well, I've talked about it before. Last year proved to be the most difficult year of my life thus far. I endured an emotional roller coaster from very first moment of January 1st. People disappoint you. And placing all of your faith in them is not their fault - it's yours. That was a hard lesson to learn. I trusted people with secrets, bills, a place to live, parts of my heart that were hard to release - and they all let me down when I needed them most. They left me at the first sign of trouble, when I was most fragile. In the process, they turned everyone against me. Literally, everyone who I had called a friend left me because of the "untruths" that were told about me. The confidants that weren't there for me. I found my way back to God and church. I found a place that felt like home. I found a place where there are people - people who care. I found friends. I found accountability. I found purpose. I am finding myself and who I am in God's eyes. All of those lies everyone believed, that I believed lead me to my breaking point. Instead of giving up, I turned to my faith and was able to see they were merely stepping stones in the long journey to forgiveness. My heart is softer. My love is deeper. And I'm only getting started.
I asked a friend to read over the lyrics to the song and let it speak to her personal experiences. A few hours later, I received a message from her apologizing because she really couldn't relate to them. My initial reaction was "Well, good for you..." with a snarky attitude. I was Gibbs slapped hard by the Holy Spirit for that attitude. Then I thought about it... good for you! To be in your mid-twenties and able to say that the loneliness and heartache expressed in this song is something you've never had to endure - that's pretty incredible.
But for those of us who have let the loneliness and the negativity get to us - the lessons to be learned are unmeasurable. I could tell you not to believe the lies, but we all do it sometimes. I could tell you to hold on to hope, but sometimes the line is too blurred. I could tell you that you're going to have a great testimony, but that doesn't take away the hurt you're feeling right now.
People are going to lie to you. You are going to believe them. Your world is going to come crashing in around you. You will rise above it. Amazing things are going to come from your pain.
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