I heard Ray Charles’s Daughter Sheila Raye Charles speak at our church Tuesday night, after the Jesus Table.
She told her story of sexual abuse, crack cocaine addiction, and prison. She spoke of how angry and resentful she was toward her parents, and toward the people that hurt her during her life. And then she said something that really stuck with me, she said, God told her:
If you want My power to pull you out of the miry clay that is your life right now, I am going to need all of your forgiveness.
So Sheila forgave, she forgave everybody of everything. And after she did, God did what He said He would do.
He pulled her out of that miry clay.
Yes, that is exactly what folks need to do who say they LOVE the LORD but they, perhaps in the midst of their pain from abuses of times past by relatives, friends, co-workers, or even strangers, they hold onto their pain and refuse to forgive. It shows in their behavior to others; they tend to disregard the Word of Messiah and continue in their pain refusing to deal with past issues. These are entrapped and are tormented. Until they forgive, they will not be set free to truly love their Savior and are unable to become Overcomers and walk His paths of righteousness.
One day around 25 years ago I surrendered all the pain and hurt I’d experienced as a youth and gave it to THE JUDGE of the Universe to deal with the circumstances from the past. I forgave those who had injured me specifically family members and was set free. At one point the Father showed me in a dream that I was standing on a street corner in my bridal gown. The gown was spotted with mud. I pondered that for years and just recently had the understanding that He was showing me I was part of His Bride but I needed to be spotless, cleaned up! You see, though I wanted to walk with Him I was stuck in miry clay at times and He pulled me out and set me upon the Rock while the wind of His Spirit blew the clay away, praise His Name!
Thanks for this reminder Kurt!
That’s a beautiful comment Irene. So glad He set you free.
Beautiful