notesbynora

There was a season in my life when I worked alongside someone who was the opposite of me. She didn’t like me, didn’t respect my thoughts, and made me feel as if I was always in her way. I often felt she whispered about me and gossiped behind my back. The hurt settled deep inside me until it became almost an obsession—I replayed her words and actions over and over, and the bitterness grew.

One day, I heard a pastor speak about giving bitterness to God. His words pierced my heart. I realized I couldn’t fix the situation on my own, but I could hand it over to the Lord. So, I started praying—sometimes daily, sometimes hourly—“God, I’m hurting, but I give this to You. I can’t carry it anymore.”

Peace didn’t always come right away. Sometimes it flowed instantly, other times it came slowly, but God was faithful. Little by little, He began to heal my heart.

Then one day, I learned that my coworker’s father had passed away. I felt God nudging me to act in love. I wrote her a letter and sent her a tree to plant in his memory. A month later, she came to me with tears in her eyes. She said, “I know we don’t get along, but I see you differently now. Your letter and the tree meant so much to me.”

That was enough. The wall between us wasn’t completely gone, but God had turned bitterness into compassion and hurt into healing.

Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). It isn’t easy, but when we surrender our wounds to God, He can transform even the hardest relationships.

Prayer:
Lord, when hurt and bitterness rise up in my heart, remind me to place it in Your hands. Help me to love even when I don’t feel like it, and to trust You to bring peace where there has been pain. Amen.