The Most Embarrassing Day
At 56 years old, I have had many embarrassing moments in my life. But one stands out, only because it was the most painful.
I was eight years old, in a family reunion, when my granduncle (God bless his soul) embarrassingly proclaimed in front of relatives that I was the darkest and dumbest in the clan. My recollection was people laughed and no one corrected him.
That was almost 50 years ago. In hindsight it probably was not as bad as I remember. But the impact of the moment was so traumatic the event would be a major motivation in the way I did life for many years.
Hurt and Trapped
Traumatic experiences affect children in ways their little soul cannot handle. Unknowingly, I made a vow that would make me despise education because it was what my family represented.
In response to the trauma, I vowed to prove myself as an entrepreneur who will one day outdo everyone in the clan. What I thought was a harmless vow was in fact a trap (Proverbs 20:25).
The result was many years of trying to prove my worth to myself and to others, a tiring endeavor, an exhausting losing battle.
Ready To Heal
What motivates us is important. Living life with the wrong motives produces very different results. Having success and respectability for the wrong reasons is never healthy.
When I became a Christian, I knew life has changed but there was something that was nagging me on the inside that just did not seem right. I often wondered what it was.
One fateful day, when I was in my mid-thirties, the Holy Spirit reminded me of that embarrassing day. Something I had already forgotten. But God was ready to heal me.
How I Got Free
The first step I took was to obey God's Word in the Bible. I forgave my granduncle (who was now dead and probably had no idea what he had done) and those who laughed (I can't even remember who they were). Then I had to forgive my parents for not doing anything about it.
Realizing God's eternal love for me in Jesus Christ and that He forgave me despite my sinfulness, made it easier for me to forgive others. It allowed me to forgive myself too, for living for the wrong motives. That was the hardest, only because I did not know I had to.
Finally, I cried out to God in prayer and asked Him to set me free. And as the verse in the Bible says, he whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36).
Turning Embarrassment Into A Blessing
Today, I still remember the incident, but like a healed wound, I can see the scar but without the pain. Instead the scar reminds me of how our most embarrassing situations can be turned into a blessing by an amazing God.
I have become more forgiving.
One of the marks of a healed soul is you can talk about your hurt freely without it bringing you any pain.
"Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.You will forget the shame of your youthand remember no more the reproach of your "being alone" Isaiah 54:4
What was your most embarrassing experience? Do you need to get things healed in your soul?
Connect to God today through His Word and prayer and turn your embarrassing moment into a testimony.
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