“I was bitter for a long time, but I learned there was only one way to find healing. I had to turn my frustrations over to God.” Jim Ryun, when remembering his second place finish in the 1500 meters in the 1968 Olympics.I looked up and people were standing, the chairs were in stacks and men were rolling the round tables into storage. My wedding guests were mingling in the open area, but it wasn’t long before they began to leave. I was frantic that I had not yet had time to visit with all my guests, especially those out-of-town guests that came a long distance. Many of my family and friends had flown in from across the country and Canada and I barely had a chance to greet them before they would board a plane and return home. The few people who were responsible to rearrange the chairs for Sunday morning were in a hurry to leave so my wedding reception was cut short. As you might imagine, I was angry about the way this was handled. I didn’t give my feedback to the church. It was past, there was nothing that could be done about it, and I was trying to make a good impression on those people in my husband’s church who would become my new church fellowship. Yet, it ate away at me for years. It was especially aggravating since I was not able to say, “What I learned was…” and then do it differently the next time. So my only recourse was to turn it over to God and receive the His blessing of peace. The Serenity Prayer was a big part of this. I prayed it many times before I was able to be free of the bitterness. Part of the healing recovery for me was also to help others not have a similar occurrence. I would say, without bitterly telling my story, “If I had it to do all over again, I would…” This, along with my personal prayer to give the frustration to God and repeating the Serenity Prayer, has helped me release the bitterness and frustration. Is there something in your life that still eats away at you every time you think of it? Do you have a desire to tell people your story in order to prove how justified you are at holding on to your bitterness? What will your first step be toward letting go of the frustration? Lord, thank You for the inexplicable way that helping others has also helped me. Amen
“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on” Philippians 3:13-14a What are your thoughts? Libby Note: James Ryun (1947- ), an American track and field athlete who won a silver medal in the 1968 Olympics in the 1500 meter run. For eight years (1967-75) Jim held the world record for running a mile in 3:51.1 minutes. He was named Athlete of the Year in ’65, inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in ’80, and into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in ’03.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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