There are different levels of brokenness*.

I once was so broken I couldn’t say I love you.

I once was so broken I couldn’t empathize.

I once was so broken I couldn’t see the person in front of me, only their mistakes.

Thankfully the journey down this dark broken path was halted when my brother helped me realize that I would remain broken if I continued to give this persons’ past actions power over my current state.

I would remain broken if I continued to give this persons’ past actions power over my current state.

The only way to reclaim the power I’d given away was to take a risk.

That risk was forgiveness.

And when I took that risk it completely transformed my heart.

Now I could say I love you, I could care, I could empathize, and I could finally see the person in front of me.

And I slowly started to treat them as a friend.

But there is still a journey ahead, one which will never result in complete healing on this earth.

*Broken encompasses hurt, so although I would say I was primarily hurt I was also prideful and arrogant. Broken encompasses more of those emotions.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash