69/100 #SoWillI #Inspired

Have you ever been betrayed by people close to you? It stings! It makes one mistrust everyone around them. I have not suffered a major betrayal in my life, but the ones I have experienced have crushed me. Friends who turned against me, family members who did not meet my expectations of them, colleagues who backstabbed me. I have a list, not because I haven’t let go, but because these incidents left a mark. I learnt to manage my expectations on every human being on earth. I guess that’s why I have no major heartbreaks. BUT..

Yes, there’s a big BUT! Even with my degree in managing expectations, it is hard to prepare for some things. Its easy to manage betrayal from people who are not very close; but when it comes to those who are very close to me, there are things that I cant even imagine. The thought of betrayal from them shakes me. This morning I have watched many videos on marriage and the pain of betrayal from a spouse breaks people, breaks families, breaks communities, breaks trust. No one can fully prepare for betrayal.

It must have been hard for Joseph. In Genesis 37, Joseph faces cruelty, from his own brothers. Siblings who are supposed to be happy for you, people you live with, people who should be ready to protect you at all times, are now planning to kill you. Then they sell you and lie to your father that you are dead. This to me is major! (now you understand why I haven’t faced major betrayal. The ones that hurt me cannot be compared to this) It must have pained, I can imagine him weeping and asking for help from his own brothers.

During their reunion when Joseph was now second in command to Pharaoh, I would understand if he commanded that all of them be beheaded and burnt. Well, they deserved it. How could they have done that to him? and all those years no one thought of trying to look for him? BUT…

Oh yes, another big BUT. Joseph chose the harder route, harder but brings the best results. He chose the narrow road. He forgave them and let go of all they had done to him. He even rewarded them. Wow!

Have you been betrayed by someone you trusted? Vengeance will not make things right, tit for tat is not a fair game. The narrow road leads to peace and joy. Choose peace, choose forgiveness. Yes it must have been painful and hard for you, but holding on it makes it more painful. Forgiving them does not mean you deserved the pain, it only means you deserve the peace. May the Lord help us all, to love them anyway, to even go an extra mile and be kind to them, to forgive them and mean it. Peace does not come from vengeance, it comes in letting go.

~Selah